Hotel

UK Watchdog Proposes To Fine Marriott $124m For Data Breach

By Dave Simpson
UK Watchdog Proposes To Fine Marriott $124m For Data Breach

Marriott International Inc has said that the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) had proposed to fine the hotel chain £99.2 million due to a massive data breach in its Starwood hotels reservation system.

In November, Marriott disclosed it had discovered the Starwood reservation database had been hacked over a four-year period in one of the largest breaches in history, involving up to 383 million guests.

"We are disappointed with this notice of intent from the ICO, which we will contest," Marriott CEO Arne Sorenson said in a statement.

One Of The ICO's Largest Fines

Marriott's fine is one of the largest from the British data protection watchdog, which last week proposed a record £183.4 million penalty for British Airways-owner IAG for the theft of data from 500,000 customers from its website last year.

As of March, at least five US states were also investigating the Marriott breach, making it potentially even more expensive for the hotel group.

News by Reuters, edited by Hospitality Ireland. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.

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