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Uber slapped with $7.3m fine for keeping quiet about driver accidents

Pseudo taxi service sanctioned for its business practice secrecy

A Californian judge has ruled that Uber, by refusing to disclose particular business practices to state regulators, is in breach of the conditions under which it is allowed to operate in the state.

The international controversy-courting ride-hailing service received a hard spanking on its home turf when an administrative law judge at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) fined the company $7.3m for its regulatory naughtiness.

Uber, which is well known to the CPUC, was found to have neglected to provide all of the information required.

A $7.3m penalty was issued (PDF) to Rasier-CA, Uber's Californian subsidiary.

The presiding judge, Karen V. Clopton, acknowledged that some filings were made, but ruled that the company had failed to provide all of the information that it was required to share.

Uber was admonished for keeping schtum about its vehicle accessibility information, details regarding accidents its drivers had been involved in, as well failing to disclose geographic information about where rides were requested and accepted – all information required to ensure consumers are not discriminated against because of their localities.

Eva Behrend, an Uber spokesperson, complained that the company "has already provided substantial amounts of data to the California Public Utilities Commission," and claimed that the information shared was given to other state regulators without complaint.

Uber will have to pay the fine within 30 days or face a suspension of its licence to operate in California.

Behrend, however, stated that the company will appeal the ruling which may delay enforcement of the deadline. ®

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