The U.S. Federal Communications Commission recently fined Marriott International Inc. $600,000 for blocking hotel customers from connecting to the internet via personal Wi-Fi networks. They did this by using hardware that would only show the hotel hotspots as the ones that guest devices could see or access.
The FCC brought this investigation about after a complaint was filed last year by a guest who said the convention center was a Wi-Fi hotspot dead zone except for the Marriot’s own network.
The FCC and Marriott International came upon a settlement that requires Marriott to stop using Wi-Fi blocking technology, file compliance and usage reports every three months for the next three years, and pay a civil penalty of $600,000. This is the first case of this kind that has resulted in FCC sanctions.
Marriott says it did nothing wrong and that this is a FCC policy that needs changing. “Marriott has a strong interest in ensuring that when our guests use our Wi-Fi services, they will be protected from rogue wireless hotspots that can cause degraded service, insidious cyber-attacks and identity theft,” says Jeff Flaherty, company spokesman.
Marriott also indicated that it protected its network with FCC-authorized equipment and that it will continue to encourage the FCC to assess the merits of its policy to eliminate further confusion.