Marriott Hotel fined by FTC for illegally blocking guests personal WiFi or Hotspots

Marriott hotel was recently fined $600,000 by the Federal Trade Commission as the result of an investigation confirming that they had illegally blocked guests from accessing their own personal Wi-Fi or hotspots. The investigation began after multiple complaints were received from participants and guests of a convention in Nashville, TN held at a Marriott property. The FTC found that Marriott employees were instructed to block any internet connection other than the one they offered at an outrageous price.

The inability to use their own data plans forced the guests to purchase the over-priced internet access that Marriott was profiting from as their only option for connecting to the web. Marriott charged the guests and small businesses participating in the trade show up to $1000 per device to access their Wi-Fi service.

It is unclear if there have been similar occurrences at any of Marriott’s other approximately 3000 properties world-wide. If you have experienced a situation like this at Marriott or any other hotel or business we encourage you to contact a member of our trained intake team today. Call us directly at 1-888-252-4668 to discuss your potential case and determine if we may be able to assist you with your claim.

Source: CNN