Importance of the British Airways and Marriott fines

The importance of the recent provisional British Airways and Marriott fines that have been issued for breaches of GDPR cannot be understated. And our action for compensation is important for victims as well.

The record-setting levels of the fines that have been issued show that the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is deadly serious when it comes to GDPR compliance. With the ability for fines to be set at 4% of an origination’s global annual turnover, financial penalties that can be issued by the regulator can be significant.

BA’s fine – which they are understood to be contesting – has been initially set at £183m, and the provisional Marriott fine is at £99m. These are clear and substantial punishments. When it comes to the victims whose data has been exposed, our action for compensation is the way forward for justice.

British Airways and Marriott fines show the need to appreciate GDPR

The levels of the multi-million pound British Airways and Marriott fines show that GDPR needs to be taken seriously by organisations across the UK and in Europe.

Ultimately, organisations must invest in cybersecurity and data protection infrastructure, or they face paying a heavy price for any failure to adhere to the law.

The costs of dealing with the modern day data breach ought to be enough for organisations to shape up their cybersecurity and protect the data they use.

Are the British Airways and Marriott fines final?

The British Airways and Marriott fines are not the final penalties to be issued. The ICO has put forward their intention to set the fines at £183m for BA and £99m for Marriott, but they can be disputed.

In fact, it’s reported that BA’s parent company, IAG, are understood to be disputing the current level of their fine. If they are successful, there still appears to be no doubt that any final penalty issued will be substantial in any event.

What about the victims?

It’s important to separate the British Airways and Marriott fines from the justice for victims, which is achieved in a different way.

Money from financial penalties isn’t designed to be used as compensation and will normally go to the treasury. For the victims who have suffered distress and financial loss, compensation by way of a legal case is the way forward.

And that’s what we do.

You can find more information about joining the British Airways group compensation action by visiting our site here.

For more information about making a claim as a victim of the Marriott breach, please call 0800 634 75 75 or complete a general enquiry form today.