24
Marriott fined $600,000 by FCC for blocking guests' Wi- Fi

Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

Companion SlideShare to http://blog.airtightnetworks.com/fcc-wi-fi-rogue-containment/ by Hemant Chaskar @CHemantC Marriott fined $600,000 by FCC for blocking guests' Wi-Fi (October 2014) Marriott has agreed to pay a $600,000 fine after the Federal Communications Commission found the company blocked consumer Wi-Fi networks last year during an event at a hotel and conference center in Nashville. This SlideShare contains an overview of the consent decree, Marriott's position, media reactions and WLAN expert perspectives.

Citation preview

Page 1: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

Marriott fined $600,000 by FCC for blocking guests' Wi-Fi

Page 2: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

Do you think that hotels are deliberately blocking your personal Wi-Fi networks so you'll buy theirs?

It turns out the federal government is concerned about it, too.

Page 3: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

"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."

Source: FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc

Page 4: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

Marriott has agreed to pay a $600,000 fine after the Federal Communications Commission found the company blocked consumer Wi-Fi networks last year during an event at a hotel and conference center in Nashville.

Page 5: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

Under the FCC consent decree, Marriott must not block guests' Wi-Fi at all of the properties it owns and manages. The company must also file compliance plans with the FCC every three months for three years.

Page 6: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

It's the first time the FCC has investigated a hotel property for blocking its guests' Wi-Fi, according to a senior FCC official with knowledge of the investigation.

Source: Marriott fined $600,000 by FCC for blocking guests' Wi-Fi | by Katia Hetter, CNN

Page 7: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

The unlawful blocking isn't "jamming" in the traditional sense, where someone uses a jammer device to block wireless signals. Instead, Marriott employees were using the hotel's own Wi-Fi system to block other people's hot spots, the FCC official said.

Source: Marriott fined $600,000 by FCC for blocking guests' Wi-Fi | by Katia Hetter, CNN

Page 8: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

"It is unacceptable for any hotel to intentionally disable personal hot spots while also charging consumers and small businesses high fees to use the hotel's own Wi-Fi network. This practice puts consumers in the untenable position of either paying twice for the same service or forgoing Internet access altogether."

Source: FCC Enforcement Bureau Chief Travis LeBlanc

Page 9: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

Marriott clarifies its position …

“Marriott has a strong interest in ensuring that when our guests use our Wi-Fi service, they will be protected from rogue wireless hot spots that can cause degraded service, insidious cyber-attacks and identity theft.”

Source: Jeff Flaherty, a Marriott spokesman via ARS Technica.

Page 10: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

Marriott clarifies its position …

"Like many other institutions and companies in a wide variety of industries, including hospitals and universities, the Gaylord Opryland protected its Wi-Fi network by using FCC-authorized equipment provided by well-known, reputable manufacturers."

Source: Source: Jeff Flaherty, a Marriott spokesman via ARS Technica.

Page 11: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

Marriott clarifies its position …

"We believe that the Opryland's actions were lawful. We will continue to encourage the FCC to pursue a rulemaking in order to eliminate the ongoing confusion resulting from today's action and to assess the merits of its underlying policy."

Source: Source: Jeff Flaherty, a Marriott spokesman via ARS Technica.

Page 12: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

Marriott clarifies its position …

In additional comments to the Associated Press, Marriott clarified:

• They were not using illegal black-market jammers to block guests’ Wi-Fi signals; in fact, the equipment was FCC-authorized

• The equipment was used at the conference facility, not in guest rooms

• At the four Gaylord hotels in the U.S., Marriott today monitors for hotspots causing interference but does not automatically block such connections

• Only a handful of Marriott's 4000 other hotels worldwide currently screen for hotspot interference.

Page 13: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

Media Reactions & Expert Perspectives

Page 14: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

FCC to Marriott: No, you can’t force your customers onto terrible hotel WiFi

By Brian Fung Via Washington Post

Page 17: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

Marriott fined $600k for deliberate JAMMING of guests' Wi-Fi hotspots: Posh hostel biz borked guests' networks to sell pricey offering |by Shaun Nichols, 3 Oct 2014 via The Register UK

The FCC's Unfair Marriott Puppy Smack: The FCC can't selectively punish companies that use features in equipment the FCC authorizes. | by Samara Lynn via PCmag.com

Page 21: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

Two Minutes of Hate: Marriot deauthing competing WiFi

by Robert Graham via Errata Security

Page 23: Marriott Fined 600K by FCC for Blocking Guests Wi-Fi

@AirTight

Cut through the confusion, read Hemant Chaskar’s post:

Understanding FCC decision regarding Wi-Fi containment at

Marriott.