Motel 6 settled illegal data sharing lawsuit for USD7.6 million
Budget hotel chain Motel 6 agreed to pay $7.6 million to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging to gave guests lists directly to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
That led to multiple guests being questioned and some being detained.
It was alleged ICE officers scanned the guest lists and honed in on those with Latino sounding names.
Motel 6 agreed to settle earlier this summer in Phoenix AZ, but only now has the amount been disclosed in a filing.
The settlement orders Motel 6 to pay money directly to affected guests in varying amounts depending on the outcome after being approached by ICE officers.
The company said in a statement: "Motel 6 fully recognizes the seriousness of the situation and accepts full responsibility for both compensating those who were harmed and taking the necessary steps to ensure that we protect the privacy of our guests."
"As part of the agreement, Motel 6 has implemented additional controls to protect private information and enhance corporate oversight in cases where law enforcement requests information, including when lawful requests are made."
The suit was filed by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, and a separate lawsuit is still ongoing in Washington state.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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