California fined ride hailing company Uber Technologies Inc. (UBER) a whopping $59 million for failing to give the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) crucial information needed in ongoing sexual assault and harassment cases.
According to the ruling made on 14 December Uber’s permit could be suspended if the company fails to pay the fine within a 30 day period.
Last year, an administrative judge ordered Uber to give answers to questions regarding a safety report released in 2019. This report contained details of several sexual assault cases which occurred in the United States in the last three years.
All of the concerned cases occurred on trips taken using the company’s riding-hailing platform.
On its defense, Uber says revealing personal details of their clients will be directly violating its privacy measures.
“The CPUC has been insistent in its demands that we release the full names and contact information of sexual assault survivors without their consent. We opposed this shocking violation of privacy, alongside many victims’ rights advocates,” said Uber.
