The Federal Communications Commission announced Friday that Marriott International, Inc. had agreed to pay $600,000 in fines to settle charges that it had prevented customers from using their own personal Wi-Fi connections to force them to use the hotel’s pricey online system.
A FCC investigation determined that Nashville’s Gaylord Opryland Hotel, a part Marriott of the chain, had used the containment features of a Wi-Fi monitoring system to prevent customers from accessing the Internet. At the same time, it charged consumers, small businesses and exhibitors as much as $1,000 to access its own system.
“Consumers who purchase cellular data plans should be able to use them without fear that their personal Internet connection will be blocked by their hotel or conference center,” said FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc.
Marriott did not apologize, issuing a statement that it did not believe it had violated any law and if there was confusion, it was the government’s fault for not having clearer rules:
As part of the consent decree, Marriott must cease the use of the blocking technology and be subject to FCC monitoring for the next three years to ensure that it has complied.
