Motel 6 and Washington state settle over privacy violation
Motel 6 will pay $12 million for violating Washington state residents’ privacy.
The agreement comes after an investigation found the national motel chain was sharing guest information with immigration agents.
The State Attorney General sued Motel 6 more than a year ago for unlawfully and routinely providing guest lists to ICE.
Motel employees in Washington state shared information of more than 80,000 guests without their knowledge or consent. Attorney General Bob Ferguson says this practice not only hurt people, but dramatically altered their lives.
“Because of Motel 6’s unlawful conduct, some people lost their jobs and homes, and were separated from their families,” he said.
Money from the settlement will go toward motel guests who were affected. The company has also agreed to change its policies, and to train employees not to release personal information without a search warrant.
The company must provide a detailed update to the Attorney General’s Office every 6 months for the next three years.
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Ruby de Luna
Reporter
Ruby de Luna is a reporter with a focus on food and how it intersects with health, communities, and culture. She has also reported on health care, and immigrant communities.
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