California fines Uber $59 million over sexual assault data

"Uber is wrong when it argues that compliance [with earlier rulings] will violate a sexual assault victim’s privacy that California law is designed to protect. Rather than casting itself in the role of a victim of regulatory overreach, it is Uber who is playing the part of the obstructionist who has prevented the commission from carrying out its regulatory, investigative and enforcement duties."

What they're saying: "We opposed this shocking violation of privacy, alongside many victims' rights advocates," Uber spokesperson Hasbun said in a statement to outlets about the CPUC's initial request that the company release victims' full names and contact information, adding that the regulator had since "changed its tune."

• "We can provide anonymized information — yet we are also subject to a $59 million fine for not complying with the very order the CPUC has fundamentally altered," Hasbun said.

Of note: The ruling came on the same day that Uber and other gig companies began rolling out new benefits to California drivers.

Read the judge's findings, via DocumentCloud: