The FCC issued an enforcement advisory on Tuesday noting that intentional blocking of personal Wi-Fi hotspots by hotels and other establishments is a "disturbing trend" and that such activity is illegal.
The FCC says its Enforcement Bureau is "aggressively investigating" several complaints against operators after it came to light that last year Marriott paid a $600,000 civil penalty after the FCC determined the hotel chain "deployed a Wi-Fi deauthentification protocol to deliberately block consumers who consumers who sought to connect to the Internet using their own personal Wi-FI hot spots."
The FCC reminds consumers that if they suspect their personal Wi-Fi is being blocked, they may file a complaint at www.fcc.gov/complaints or call 1-888-Call-FCC.
