The Dutch Labour Inspectorate is preparing its toughest intervention yet against Uber Eats, proposing to shut down the platform in the Amsterdam region for one month. The move follows years of enforcement actions and repeated findings that the company has failed to adequately prevent undocumented workers from operating as meal couriers. NRC reports about it.
According to inspection data, around 60 percent of Uber Eats couriers whose work permits were checked during recent controls were found to be illegally employed. Even during the most recent inspection in February 2025, after Uber Eats had assured authorities that its verification systems were fully robust, half of the couriers lacked valid authorization to work. Several cases involved identity fraud, including account sharing and manipulated selfie checks.
The proposed measure, described by the Ministry of Social Affairs as a “preventive suspension of activities,” would temporarily ban Uber Eats from facilitating deliveries in Greater Amsterdam. While such a sanction would have far-reaching consequences for restaurants, couriers, and consumers, the ministry argues that previous fines and warnings have failed to change behavior. Since 2021, violations have been established on at least seven occasions, including multiple inspections and penalties linked to police investigations.
Meal delivery platforms expanded rapidly in the Netherlands after 2015, when Deliveroo and Uber Eats entered the market with gig-based models relying on self-employed couriers. These platforms benefited from abundant venture capital, widespread smartphone use, and the rise of e-bikes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, delivery riders were even classified as essential workers. The boom ended in 2023 when the Dutch Supreme Court ruled that Deliveroo couriers should be treated as employees, prompting Deliveroo’s exit from the Dutch market.
Uber Eats remained and restructured its model. Couriers are now formally hired through temporary employment agencies and paid hourly, with recruitment handled by firms such as Randstad. Despite this shift, the sector continues to attract undocumented workers. Language requirements are minimal; there is no face-to-face contact on the platform; and identity verification is mainly digital. Authorities argue that these features make fraud difficult to eliminate at scale.
At a recent hearing before the Council of State, government lawyers accused Uber Eats of repeatedly overstating the effectiveness of its controls. They demonstrated how strengthened selfie checks could still be bypassed remotely, enabling illegal account sharing. Uber Eats strongly disputes these claims, stating that it enforces a leading zero-tolerance policy on account misuse and has significantly upgraded its verification processes.
Uber warns that a temporary shutdown would have serious economic effects. According to an impact assessment commissioned by the company, restaurants could lose an average of 27 percent of their turnover, couriers would forfeit most of their income, and consumers would face reduced choice.
The case highlights a broader policy dilemma in urban home delivery: how governments can effectively regulate large digital platforms whose scale, resources, and legal strategies often dilute traditional enforcement tools. Whether the proposed shutdown will proceed remains uncertain, but it signals a clear escalation in the Netherlands’ approach to platform accountability in last-mile food delivery.
Source: NRC
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