The real question is whether Uber made >$26m using the deceptive cancellation messages in Australia.

The goal of fines isn't to bankrupt companies, but to change behavior. If you can make a specific behavior unprofitable, the fine is successful.

In what world do you think the ACCC, which only really has jurisdiction over Australia, should fine Uber some large portion of their worldwide revenue of $6B for misleading messaging about cancellations?

GDPR fines are based on worldwide revenue, so it’s not outrageous to think that other policies/organizations would do the same. If they don’t, fines aren’t going to be effective motivators.

The EU has a big enough market that access outweighs the cost. If Malta tried to fine Uber a percentage of its global revenue they'd pack up shop and leave immediately. Australia is about one fifteenth the size of Europe in population.

I think you've just perfectly explained the problem: "If we punish them hard enough that they care, they might leave".

You can't do credible enforcement, if your primary goal is ensuring the company continues to grace you with their presence

This is roughly equivalent to saying we should put people in jail for 5 years for speeding because for some people a $50 fine just isn't that much.

Punishments need to be proportionate. Executing people for stealing hub caps may well reduce the incidence of that but that doesn't make it OK.

Misleading cancellation messaging just isn't that big of a deal. I really wish people would focus on the severity of what happened rather than just saying "it's not enough" just because they seemingly hate Uber.

People's personal dislike of a company or person is not a basis for determining a punishment.

Incidentally, countries like Finland issue fines based on your income - and if you're rich, speeding nets you a cool six-digit fine https://www.boredpanda.com/finland-progressive-speeding-tick...

The US also believes in punitive damages, i.e. "We fine you $1000 for what you did, and then add $1000,000,00 because you don't really care about $1000"

It's not about a particular company it's about global/international companies in general. Plus imposing a global revenue fine for this kind of issue would be absurd. It only needs to be enough for their bottom line to look better by complying rather than making the change.

Specifically, the bottom line of the business unit within the company which earns revenue from the business.

Because otherwise, multinational companies will use their global profits to bankroll illegal activities within any nation's borders, and will keep on doing so until the nation relents.

A world in which an Australian regulatory agency should protect Australian consumers by levying a fine which makes it financially untenable to operate in Australia with these deceptive practices.

Like... 10% of their turnover in fines? Which is what they did.