Uber drivers launched a class action in Amsterdam over its AI pay-setting system.
Why it matters: The case could become a major test of how gig platforms use algorithms to set pay and allocate work. It also brings labor-rights claims together with privacy and data-protection law in the EU and UK.
- The action was launched Sept. 2, 2026, in Amsterdam District Court.
- It covers about 240,000 to 241,000 Uber drivers across the EU and UK.
- Worker Info Exchange International says Uber’s dynamic pay system has cut UK drivers’ real earnings by more than £5,000 a year on average.
- Uber says its algorithms support matching, pricing and earnings prediction, and says it does not personalize prices for individual consumers.
Uber drivers in the UK and across Europe have launched a collective legal action in Amsterdam District Court, alleging that the company’s algorithmic pay and job-allocation system uses automated decision-making and profiling unlawfully, suppresses earnings and violates privacy and data-protection law.
The claim is being led by Worker Info Exchange International and is reported to cover about 240,000 to 241,000 drivers across the EU and UK. James Farrar, director of Worker Info Exchange, said: "A computer algorithm should not independently make decisions that strip individuals of their livelihood." He also said Uber’s dynamic pay algorithms have squeezed driver pay for years.
The group alleges UK drivers have lost more than £5,000 a year on average in real terms after changes to Uber’s pay calculation. Reporting on the case says the legal theories include unlawful automated decision-making, profiling, privacy and data-protection breaches, and use of personal data to train AI and machine-learning models.
Uber’s 2026 Algorithmic Transparency Report says the company uses algorithms for matching, pricing and earnings prediction, and says it does not use personal data to personalize prices for individual consumers. Uber’s driver privacy notice says it transfers driver data from the EEA, UK and Switzerland using mechanisms including adequacy decisions and standard contractual clauses.
The filing adds to a longer-running fight over Uber’s dynamic pay and work-allocation systems in Europe, with Amsterdam increasingly serving as a litigation hub for the dispute.
By the numbers
- 240,000-241,000 - drivers reportedly covered by the action across the EU and UK
- More than £5,000 - average annual real-terms earnings loss alleged for UK drivers
- Sept. 2, 2026 - date the collective action was launched in Amsterdam District Court
Yes, but: Uber’s public materials say its systems are used for matching, pricing and earnings prediction, and the company says it does not personalize consumer prices using personal data. The lawsuit’s core claims still need to be tested in court.
What's next: The case will now proceed in Amsterdam District Court.