The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) gave a clear message this week: It is serious about penalizing companies that aren't properly protecting consumer data.

On Monday, the ICO announced its intention to fine British Airways £183.39 million ($230 million). The proposed fine was the result of the British data privacy agency's investigation of Britain Airways' 2018 data breach that left roughly 500,000 customers' financial and personal information compromised.

As observers attempted to gain some insight from the British watchdog agency's first significant fine under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), on Tuesday the ICO also proposed a £99 million ($124 million) fine against Marriott over the hotel chain's data breach of guests' personal data in late 2018.