Uber fined £385,000 after millions were hit by a cyber attack

Uber on Tuesday was slapped with a fine by British and Dutch regulators over a cyber attack affecting millions of users.

The Information Commissioner’s Office fined the taxis company £385,000, while the Dutch watchdog is asking for €600,000 (£531,000).

The data breach exposed the details of 57 million customers and drivers in 2016. Also, Uber paid the hackers $100,000 to destroy the data they stole before it told those affected about the incident.

ICO director of investigations Steve Eckersley said: “This was not only a serious failure of data security on Uber’s part, but a complete disregard for the customers and drivers whose personal information was stolen.

“At the time, no steps were taken to inform anyone affected by the breach, or to offer help and support. That left them vulnerable.”

Uber said: “We learn from our mistakes.” It added that the company's culture has changed since 2016.