In an aggressive move to tighten its grip on the digital economy, the Dutch authorities have slammed ride-hailing giant Uber with a staggering €290 million ($324 million) fine. The charge? Violating the European Union's stringent data protection laws by transferring personal information of European Uber drivers to the United States. This marks yet another instance where the EU seems determined to flex its regulatory muscles, shielding domestic industries under the guise of data protection.

Uber, however, isn’t backing down. The company claims its data transfer practices were fully compliant with GDPR during a tumultuous three-year period of legal limbo between the EU and the U.S. A spokesperson for Uber criticized the ruling as “deeply flawed and unjustified,” vowing to appeal the decision.

This fine comes as part of a broader European strategy to weaponize data privacy laws, reinforcing monopolies and exerting tighter control over various sectors of the economy. The crackdown was set in motion by complaints from French taxi drivers, with the French and Dutch data protection regulators working in tandem to launch the investigation.