Is AT&T ethical?

What Choice found

Choice can get this wrong — tell us if something's off.

1–10 of 22

Privacy & surveillance Confirmed

AT&T breach exposes nearly all customers' call and text records

AT&T experienced a data breach exposing nearly all customers' call and text records.

1 sourceRead sources
fox5atlanta.com
RELATED: AT&T hack: ‘Nearly all' customers' call, text records exposed in data breach

Media & the press Confirmed

AT&T bankrolls far-right disinformation outlet

AT&T funds One America News, a far-right disinformation outlet.

3 sourcesRead sources
commondreams.org
Report Reveals How AT&T Bankrolls Far-Right Disinformation Outlet One America News
commondreams.org
Report Reveals How AT&T Bankrolls Far-Right Disinformation Outlet One America News
commondreams.org
Report Reveals How AT&T Bankrolls Far-Right Disinformation Outlet One America News

Corporate conduct Allegation

AT&T Inc. is accused of concealing foreign hacker breaches

AT&T Inc. is accused of concealing repeated foreign hacker intrusions in violation of the law, according to a lawsuit from a former IBM cybersecurity official.

2 sourcesRead sources
fortune.com
The whistleblower complaint against IBM and AT&T was filed under seal in 2020 and is still pending before a federal court.Getty Images—Matthias Balk/picture alliance
and AT&T Inc.’s computer systems were repeatedly breached by foreign hackers, and the companies concealed those intrusions from the US government in violation of the law, according to a lawsuit from a former IBM cybersecurity official.
IBM, AT&T accused by whistleblower of covering up foreign hacks
IBM, AT&T accused by whistleblower of covering up foreign hacks | Fortune
bloomberg.com
and AT&T Inc.’s computer systems were repeatedly breached by foreign hackers, and the companies concealed those intrusions from the US government in violation of the law, according to a lawsuit from a former IBM cybersecurity official.

Privacy & surveillance Ruling

AT&T was fined $57 million by the Federal Communications Commission for mishandling customer data

In an internal proceed- ing, the Commission found that AT&T violated section 222 of the Telecommunications Act by mishandling cus- tomer data and fined the company $57 million.

3 sourcesRead sources
ca5.uscourts.gov
24-60223 8 AT&T elected to timely pay the penalty and seek review in our court.
In an internal proceeding, the Commission found that AT&T violated section 222 of the Telecommunications Act by mishandling customer data and fined the company $57 million.
law.cornell.edu
The Commission then issued “order[s]” commanding AT&T and Verizon to pay $57 million and $47 million, respectively.
The Commission determined that AT&T and Verizon violated federal law by mishandling user location data.
It determined that AT&T and Verizon were liable, and it ordered them to pay $57 million and $47 million, respectively.
supremecourt.gov
AT&T’s petition argues, among other things, that the in -house adjudication violated the Constitution by denying it an Article III decisionmaker and a jury trial .
In an internal proceed- ing, the Commission found that AT&T violated section 222 of the Telecommunications Act by mishandling cus- tomer data and fined the company $57 million.

Corporate conduct Settlement

AT&T settles for $60 million over data throttling allegations

The FTC settled with AT&T for $60 million after alleging the wireless provider failed to disclose that unlimited data plans would throttle speeds for heavy users.

8 sourcesRead sources
ftc.gov
AT&T Mobility LLC, a limited liability company, Defendant
PRESS RELEASE: AT&T to Pay $60 Million to Resolve FTC Allegations It Misled Consumers with ‘Unlimited Data’ Promises
ftc.gov
AT&T to Pay $60 Million to Resolve FTC Allegations It Misled Consumers with ‘Unlimited Data’ Promises
ftc.gov
FTC Says AT&T Has Misled Millions of Consumers with ‘Unlimited’ Data Promises | Federal Trade Commission
ftc.gov
The $60 million paid by AT&T as part of the settlement will be deposited into a fund that the company will use to provide partial refunds to both current and former customers who had originally signed up for unlimited plans prior to 2011 but were throttled by AT&T. Affected consumers will not be required to submit a claim for the refunds.
“AT&T promised unlimited data—without qualification—and failed to deliver on that promise,” said Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.
The $60 million paid by AT&T as part of the settlement will be deposited into a fund that the company will use to provide partial refunds to both current and former customers who had originally signed up for unlimited plans prior to 2011 but were throttled by AT&T.
After AT&T challenged whether the FTC had jurisdiction to bring the case, the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in 2018 ruled that the FTC did have jurisdiction and authority to challenge the company’s marketing of mobile data services, allowing the Commission’s case to proceed.
AT&T to Pay $60 Million to Resolve FTC Allegations It Misled Consumers with ‘Unlimited Data’ Promises
ftc.gov
The money paid by AT&T was deposited into a fund that the company used to provide partial refunds to current and former customers who had unlimited plans that were throttled by AT&T. The company gave a bill credit to current AT&T customers and sent refund checks to former customers.
Former AT&T customers may be eligible to claim a refund from the $7 million remaining in a fund created to settle allegations that the wireless provider charged for “unlimited” data plans while reducing their data speeds, a practice known as throttling.
AT&T has not been able to reach everyone who was eligible for a refund.
The Federal Trade Commission opened a claims process for former AT&T customers who have yet to claim a refund stemming from the FTC’s lawsuit against the company for misleading consumers about its unlimited data plans.
The FTC in 2019 required AT&T to provide $60 million for refunds for failing to disclose to millions of smartphone customers with unlimited data plans that once they reached a certain amount of data use in a given billing cycle, AT&T would reduce or throttle their data speeds.
The company gave a bill credit to current AT&T customers and sent refund checks to former customers.
The money paid by AT&T was deposited into a fund that the company used to provide partial refunds to current and former customers who had unlimited plans that were throttled by AT&T.
ftc.gov
The FTC’s $60 million settlement with AT&T, announced in 2019, resolved allegations that the wireless provider failed to adequately disclose to its unlimited data plan customers that, if they reach a certain amount of data use in a given billing cycle, AT&T would reduce—or “throttle”—their data speeds to the point that many common mobile phone applications, such as web browsing and video streaming, became difficult or nearly impossible to use.
In 2020, as a result of the settlement, the company gave a bill credit to current AT&T customers and sent refund checks to former customers, which resulted in $52 million returned to consumers.
ftc.gov
But when a customer exceeded an arbitrary data-use ceiling, AT&T “throttled” the speed of data transmission for the rest of the month, which degraded the quality of the service and made many common applications virtually unusable.
The FTC’s Enforcement Lawsuit The FTC sued AT&T in October 2014, charging that its throttling of customers to whom it had promised unlimited data was an unfair practice and that the inadequate notice made it deceptive.
ftc.gov
Exhibit B: Notice to Former Customers 11, Rrst-Oass Letter fDatl'l] Dear C:1,ment or former AT& l' Customer; AT&T and the federalTradeComniission settled 'a lawsuit alleging that AT&, reduced the data speed 011 unlimited ' .data ,plans without telli11g customers; As part pl the settl1m1ent, we are giving former cu>tomers m.oney back.

Climate & energy Settlement

AT&T settles for failing to report hazardous batteries

AT&T settles for failing to report hazardous batteries in California's environmental reporting system.

2 sourcesRead sources
da.venturacounty.gov
AT&T), filed in the Santa Cruz Superior Court, centered around the telecommunication company’s failure to report hazardous materials (batteries) with the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS).
- District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced that a multi-million dollar settlement has been reached with AT&T over hazardous environmental practices in Ventura County and across the state of California.
Reporting the use of hazardous materials to CERS is required by law and has also been a part of AT&T’s Hazardous Materials Business Plan.
oag.ca.gov
If approved by the court, under the final judgment, AT&T must pay $18.8 million in civil penalties and costs.
An additional $3 million will fund supplemental environmental projects furthering consumer protection and environmental enforcement in California, and AT&T will pay a minimum of $2 million to enhance its environmental compliance.

Corporate conduct Confirmed

AT&T obtained funding via false certifications

AT&T obtained funding based on false certifications it made under penalty of perjury.

1 sourceRead sources
arstechnica.com
AT&T obtained funding based on false certifications it made under penalty of perjury.

Corporate conduct Confirmed

AT&T bought Time Warner prompting DOJ antitrust challenge

AT&T bought Time Warner in 2018, prompting the Department of Justice to seek to block the merger on anti-trust grounds.

1 sourceRead sources
influencewatch.org
When AT&T bought Time Warner in 2018, the Department of Justice sought to block the merger on anti-trust grounds.

Privacy & surveillance Confirmed

AT&T notifying millions over data breach

AT&T notifying millions of customers following a data breach exposure.

1 sourceRead sources
theguardian.com
US telecoms firm AT&T notifying millions of customers over data breach

Workplace equity Settlement

AT&T settles disability discrimination lawsuit

AT&T pays $250,000 and reinstates employee to settle EEOC disability discrimination lawsuit.

1 sourceRead sources
eeoc.gov
AT&T has also agreed to engage in affirmative recruiting of visually impaired individuals by cooperating with local organizations that serve that workforce.
AT&T to Pay $250,000 and Reinstate Employee to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit
Under the consent decree resolving EEOC's claims, aside from significant monetary relief, AT&T has agreed to reinstate Meléndez into a new position in its San Juan location and to offer him reasonable accommodations in compliance with the ADA.
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - AT&T, a multi-national telecommunications company, will pay $250,000, reinstate an employee, and furnish other relief to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the agency announced today.
AT&T to Pay $250,000 and Reinstate Employee to Settle EEOC Disability Discrimination Lawsuit | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
AT&T will also conduct annual training for its managers in Puerto Rico, post a notice about the lawsuit in its Puerto Rico locations where customer service representatives and its Network Field Operations employees are located, and report ADA complaints from Puerto Rico to EEOC.