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Motel 6 and Washington state settle over privacy violation

caption: A federal judge in Phoenix will review terms of a settlement in a class-action lawsuit filed by Motel 6 guests who say employees of the national budget chain shared their private information with immigration officials, at a location Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019, in Phoenix.
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A federal judge in Phoenix will review terms of a settlement in a class-action lawsuit filed by Motel 6 guests who say employees of the national budget chain shared their private information with immigration officials, at a location Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019, in Phoenix.
AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

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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