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Workplace equityAllegationAgainst
Comcast is accused of humiliating sales staff with cream pie
A lawsuit against Comcast’s cable division alleges a store manager humiliated the lowest performing salesperson each month by smashing a cream pie into the employee's face.
A lawsuit against Comcast’s cable division alleges that a store manager humiliated the lowest performing salesperson each month with a strange ritual in which a cream pie was smashed into the employee’s face.
Comcast store punished low sales by smashing pies in workers' faces, lawsuit claims - Ars Technica
The negligent-supervision count said Comcast knew or should have known the management practices could result in harm to employees but failed to properly supervise the store’s management team.
Privacy & surveillanceSettlementAgainst
Comcast settles for $117.5 million over data breach
Comcast agreed to pay $117.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit after a cybersecurity breach exposed personal information of millions of Xfinity customers in October 2023.
The lawsuit alleges that Comcast "failed to properly protect personal information" and had "inadequate data security." The communications company has denied any wrongdoing.
Comcast did tell customers in a notice that the personal information in the data breach included usernames, passwords, contact information, dates of birth and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
Comcast has agreed to pay $117.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit stemming from a cybersecurity breach that exposed the personal information of millions of Xfinity customers in October 2023.
Comcast has agreed to a $117.5 million class action settlement to resolve claims related to a cybersecurity incident in October 2023 that exposed the personal information of millions of customers.
While Comcast denies any wrongdoing, the company agreed to the settlement to avoid continued litigation.
Millions of Comcast and Xfinity customers could soon be in line for cash payments after the telecom giant agreed to a proposed $117.5 million settlement tied to a massive 2023 data breach that exposed sensitive customer information.
According to Comcast’s own disclosure, the company determined by Nov. 16, 2023, that customer information had likely been acquired by unauthorized actors.
Comcast disclosed the breach in December 2023 and notified affected customers that their personal information may have been compromised.
Eligibility is limited to individuals who received a notice from Comcast informing them that their information may have been compromised in the October 2023 data breach.
Only consumers who received a breach notification from Comcast around December 2023 are included in the settlement class.
The data breach exposed personal information belonging to tens of millions of consumers, and the settlement is resolving claims that Comcast failed to adequately protect customer data before hackers gained access to sensitive information in October of that year.
Comcast Xfinity Settlement: How to File Claim in $117M Lawsuit - Newsweek
Comcast did tell customers in a notice that the personal information in the data breach included usernames, passwords, contact information, dates of birth and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
Comcast has agreed to pay $117.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit stemming from a cybersecurity breach that exposed the personal information of millions of Xfinity customers in October 2023.
Comcast has agreed to pay $117.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit stemming from a cybersecurity breach that occurred in October 2023 that exposed the personal information of millions of Xfinity customers.
Comcast has agreed to pay $117.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit stemming from a cybersecurity breach that exposed the personal information of millions of Xfinity customers in October 2023.
According to the Comcast settlement website, the settlement is now open for claims, and current or former customers who received a breach notification from Comcast in December 2023 may be eligible for a payout.
Comcast has agreed to pay $117.5 million to settle a class-action lawsuit stemming from a cybersecurity breach that exposed the personal information of millions of Xfinity customers in October 2023.
Comcast told customers in a 2023 notice that the personal information in the data breach included usernames, passwords, contact information, dates of birth and the last four digits of Social Security numbers.
Corporate conductConfirmedAgainst
Comcast conceals political slants in campaign data
Comcast's executive leadership and directors believe it's more important to conceal their individual political slants, leading to selective disclosure of campaign contribution information for board nominees.
Since Comcast’s executive leadership and directors believe it’s more important to conceal their individual political slants while they use the Company’s assets and levers of power to engage in divisive – and often even destructive – policies, we have reproduced below campaign contribution information for each of this year’s board nominees, except for two who turned up no, or almost no, data.
Workplace equityAllegationAgainst
Comcast is accused of discriminating against business owners by race
Comcast is accused of implementing a grant program that discriminated against business owners based on race, leading to a lawsuit that was dropped shortly afterward.
The Company also implemented a grant program that discriminated against business owners based on their race.4 Comcast was sued, and not long afterward dropped the program.5 In 2021 the Company echoed the demagoguery surrounding the Georgia Election Integrity Law,6 which the President of the United States likened to “Jim Crow in the 21st century.”7 The result of the enacted law was seen in the 2022 elections, as the “most successful election in history,” as early voting tripled relative to 2018, and it became “easier for citizens to vote and harder to cheat.”8 9
Political spendingConfirmedYou decide
Comcast donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural committee
Comcast gave $1 million to Trump’s inaugural committee.
In addition to Comcast’s donation, another $1 million to Trump’s inauguration came from EWB Services, an obscure corporate entity that listed a mailing address near Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square.
Comcast Corp. donated $1 million to President Donald Trump’s inaugural committee in December, joining other Pennsylvania-based companies in contributing to Trump’s record-breaking fundraising haul, according to new filings from the Federal Election Commission.
Comcast donated $1 million to Trump's inaugural committee
Telecom giants AT&T, Comcast, and Verizon each donated $1 million to the Trump inaugural committee.
Corporate conductSettlementAgainst
Comcast settles for $700,000 in refunds
Comcast will pay $700,000 in refunds and cancel debts for customers as part of a settlement over alleged deceptive ads promoting long-term cable contracts.
Comcast “has chosen to segregate these fees from its base price so it can deceptively advertise and promise an artificially low price to price-sensitive customers, and at the same time confuse and conceal the true monthly cost of its Cable Television Packages.”
Despite blaming customer service reps for the problems, Comcast has known for years “that it has misrepresented the total cost of its Cable Television Packages and failed to disclose that it will charge substantial, additional fees in addition to the deceptively low price that is promised consumers,” the lawsuit said.
In November 2018, Comcast agreed to pay $700,000 in refunds “and cancel debts for more than 20,000 Massachusetts customers” to settle allegations that it used deceptive advertising to promote long-term cable contracts, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced at the time.
In 2015, Comcast/Xfinity deceptively enrolled a consumer in a minimum-term agreement Cable Television Package that she did not want, and then charged her an early termination fee when she cancelled the unrequested package.
But in fact, “Comcast/Xfinity is not required by any state or federal law to collect such fees,” the Minnesota complaint said.
The attorney general’s office said Comcast provided “inaccurate and misleading” information on pricing to customers who were going into long-term contracts, and failed to disclose fees that could bump up monthly bills by 40 percent above the price that’d been advertised.
Comcast will pay $700,000 in refunds and cancel debts for more than 20,000 customers in Massachusetts as part of a settlement, following allegations that the company used misleading ads about long-term cable contracts, the state attorney general said Tuesday.
Comcast owes Massachusetts customers $700K in refunds for 'misleading' advertising - CNET
Comcast, which allegedly used deceptive ads to promote long-term cable contracts, will pay $700,000 in refunds and cancel debts for customers as part of a settlement.
Comcast failed to adequately disclose fees that typically increased customers’ monthly bills by 40 percent above the advertised price.
For example, the investigation found that in a series of advertisements, Comcast advertised a $99 lock-in rate but did not adequately disclose equipment costs and mandatory monthly fees associated with the long-term contract that would add to a customer’s monthly bill.
These customers were required to pay early termination fees of up to $240 to cancel long-term contracts, even when they downgraded Comcast services to a more affordable monthly package.
Comcast to Pay $700,000 in Refunds and Cancel Debts for More Than 20,000 Massachusetts Customers to Resolve Allegations of Deceptive Advertising | Mass.gov
Boston — Comcast will pay refunds and cancel debts for more than 20,000 Massachusetts customers as part of a settlement resolving allegations that the company violated state consumer protection laws by using deceptive advertisements to promote its long-term cable contracts, Attorney General Maura Healey announced today.
Press Release Comcast to Pay $700,000 in Refunds and Cancel Debts for More Than 20,000 Massachusetts Customers to Resolve Allegations of Deceptive Advertising
This page, Comcast to Pay $700,000 in Refunds and Cancel Debts for More Than 20,000 Massachusetts Customers to Resolve Allegations of Deceptive Advertising , is offered by
Community investmentConfirmedIn favor
Comcast grants $30k to Samaritan House
Comcast announced $30,000 grants to Samaritan House and Second Harvest of Silicon Valley for hunger-relief programs.
Comcast is donating $2 million to humanitarian relief efforts in Israel and the region after Hamas terror attacks that hit the country over the weekend.
The Skydance donation follows Comcast committing $2 million to aid the humanitarian efforts in Israel and the Middle East region, including $1.5 million going immediately to Save the Children Federation Inc., Doctors Without Borders, Direct Relief, and American Friends of Magen David Adom.
Disney, Netflix, Paramount, Comcast, Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony, Meta and several major media and entertainment companies said they will cover travel costs for employees seeking abortions after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v.
Variety has confirmed that Comcast, which owns NBCUniversal, has a travel benefit that covers employees’ medical services and procedures that aren’t available near an employee’s home.
Comcast (CCZ) has an existing healthcare travel benefit for all employees that covers up to $4,000 per trip, up to three trips per year, with a maximum coverage cap of $10,000 per year.
Just two years ago, Comcast announced it would cover abortion-related travel expenses for employees, providing up to $10,000 annually following the Supreme Court's overturning of Roe v.
Disney, Sony, Paramount Global, Netflix, Comcast and Warner Bros. Discovery informed employees or are preparing to inform staff that they will reimburse travel expenses for those looking to obtain abortions across state lines, should it be necessary, TheWrap has learned.
Comcast does have a travel benefit that covers reproductive costs for both Comcast and NBCUniversal employees, as well as a travel benefit for medical services and procedures not available near an employee’s home, an individual with knowledge said.
Workplace equityConfirmedAgainst
Comcast paid civil rights groups for advocacy
Comcast paid civil rights groups to advocate publicly on its behalf to influence the Federal Communications Commission.
To help obscure its true discriminatory intentions and win favor with the Federal Communications Commission, ESN asserted, Comcast paid civil rights groups to advocate publicly on its behalf.
These are violations of § 1981: Comcast’s re- fusal to contract with media companies with majority or substantial African American ownership; its imple- mentation of dual paths for carriage (i.e., one path for non-minority-owned media and a separate “MOU Pro- cess” for African American–owned media companies); its discrimination in the contractual terms it offers to African American–owned media companies; and its pretextual excuses for refusing to contract.
To help ob- scure its true discriminatory intentions and win favor with the Federal Communications Commission, ESN asserted, Comcast paid civil rights groups to advocate publicly on its behalf.
To help obscure its true discrimi- natory intentions and win favor with the Federal Communi- cations Commission, ESN asserted, Comcast paid civil rights groups to advocate publicly on its behalf.
Climate & energySettlementAgainst
Comcast settles for discarding customer data
Comcast settled after discarding documents with sensitive customer information without shredding them.
The investigation also uncovered that Comcast discarded documents containing sensitive customer information, including names, addresses and phone numbers, into the trash without shredding them or making them unreadable, potentially exposing the information to identity thieves.
If approved by the court, under the final judgment, Comcast must pay $19.85 million in civil penalties and costs.
Comcast will also be providing CalRecycle with $2.25 million in airtime over a four-year period and $150,000 to develop and produce public service announcements that educate the public on the proper handling and disposal of hazardous waste they might generate, including electronics.
to communicate directly with Comcast through its Office of General Counsel. VI. FEES AND COSTS IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that each party to this Order hereby agrees to bear its own costs and attorneys' fees incurred in connection with this action. VII. SEVERABILITY IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the provisions of this Order are separate and severable from one another. If any provision is stayed or determined to be invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect. VIII. COMPLETE SETTLEMENT The parties, by their respective counsel, hereby consent to entry of the foregoing Order which shall constitute a final judgment and order in this matter. The parties further stipulate and agree that the entry of the foregoing Order shall constitute a full, complete, and final settlement of this action. IX.
Workplace equityConfirmedYou decide
FCC launches effort to root out DEI programs at Comcast
FCC launches effort to root out DEI programs beginning with Comcast.
Comcast gave $1M to politicians supporting anti-LGBTQ billsArticle box
Comcast gave $1M to politicians supporting anti-LGBTQ bills
But since 2022, Comcast has also contributed more than $1 million to politicians supporting anti-LGBTQ bills, according to a report from Popular Information, the accountability journalism newsletter run by Judd Legum.
Other companies include media giant Comcast, AT&T (contributing at least $1,269,650 to anti-LGBTQ politicians since 2022), Walmart ($965,000), United Health ($1,028,750 in the same time frame) and CVS ($1,079,485).
The study, released on Monday by the Popular Information newsletter, found that alongside pronouncements of LGBTQ+ support, corporations including CVS, AT&T, Walmart and Comcast have supported candidates who seek to block or otherwise restrict equal rights based on gender or sexual orientation.
But according to the study by Popular Information, Comcast has also donated more than $1.1m to anti-LGBTQ+ politicians since 2019, including $30,000 to the sponsors of anti-trans legislation in Florida and Texas and $1,095,500 to 149 members of Congress marked zero by HRC.
Comcast, a Backer of Reproductive Rights, Donates to DeSantis’s Anti-Abortion PAC
Corporate conductAllegationAgainst
Comcast told Minnesota consumers that it had no control over increases to the Broadcast TV
For example, Comcast/Xfinity told Minnesota consumers in 2015, 2016, and 2017—when the consumers called the company regarding undisclosed increases on their supposedly fixed-price bills—that the Broadcast TV fee and Regional Sports fee had increased or been added to their bills, but that “those fees are actually local fees and correspond to the FCC and we don’t manage those okay?
A new lawsuit filed against Comcast details an extensive list of lies the cable company allegedly told customers in order to hide the full cost of service.
The lies Comcast allegedly told customers to hide full cost of service
Comcast/Xfinity instead charged him more, including an undisclosed Broadcast TV fee of $4.50 per month and Regional Sports fee of $3.00 per month, and then raised his rate by over $19.95 per month in the second year of his term by adding an HD Technology fee and an equipment (DVR) fee, despite his Service Order misrepresenting: “HD DVR Qty 1 $Free.”
Similarly, in August 2016, Comcast/Xfinity promised a consumer that it would charge him the same price for two years and wrote that he would pay $139.99 per month on his Service Order.
Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson sued Comcast in Hennepin County District Court on December 21, seeking refunds for all customers who were harmed by Comcast’s alleged violations of the state’s Prevention of Consumer Fraud Act and Uniform Deceptive Trade Practices Act.
Despite creating the Broadcast TV fee and Regional Sports fee on its own initiative and increasing them at its own whims, Comcast/Xfinity has sometimes misrepresented to Minnesota consumers that it cannot control whether it charged consumers these fees or how much it charged for the fees.
Comcast/Xfinity deceptively promised another consumer in 2016 that she would pay $107.38 per month, “after taxes and equipment” for two years but actually enrolled her in a $119.99 per month base rate plan, on top of which Comcast/Xfinity charged numerous additional fees.
For example, Comcast/Xfinity told Minnesota consumers in 2015, 2016, and 2017—when the consumers called the company regarding undisclosed increases on their supposedly fixed-price bills—that the Broadcast TV fee and Regional Sports fee had increased or been added to their bills, but that “those fees are actually local fees and correspond to the FCC and we don’t manage those okay?
Corporate conductAllegationAgainst
Washington State Attorney General accuses Comcast of deceptive practices
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a $100 million lawsuit against Comcast, accusing it of engaging in a pattern of deceptive practices.
(AP) — Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Monday filed a $100 million lawsuit against Comcast, saying the cable and internet giant deceived customers into paying tens of millions of dollars in fees for a “near-worthless” service protection plan.
SEATTLE — Attorney General Bob Ferguson filed a lawsuit today against cable television and Internet giant Comcast Corporation in King County Superior Court, alleging the company’s own documents reveal a pattern of illegally deceiving their customers to pad their bottom line by tens of millions of dollars. The lawsuit accuses the company of more than 1.8 million violations of Washington state’s Consumer Protection Act (CPA), including misrepresenting the scope of its Service Protection Plan, charging customers improper service call fees and improper credit screening practices.
Customers who sign up for Comcast’s Service Protection Plan pay a $4.99 monthly fee ostensibly to avoid being charged if a Comcast technician visits their home to fix an issue covered by the plan.
AG announces lawsuit against Comcast for more than $100 million | Washington State
Comcast's protection plan has drawn a number of complaints across the country from people who said they were shocked to see they had been billed for the service.
Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson slapped Comcast with a $100 million dollar lawsuit on Monday accusing the company of "engaging in a pattern of deceptive practices."
Comcast Accused Of “Pattern Of Deceptive Practices” In $100-Million Lawsuit
Corporate conductAllegationAgainst
Comcast is accused of violating Minnesota consumer laws
Comcast is accused of violating Minnesota's consumer protection laws, injuring thousands of consumers who purchased Xfinity cable packages.
AG: Comcast tricked customers into long-term contracts, then raised bills 40%.
“Comcast/Xfinity’s conduct has violated Minnesota’s consumer protection laws and injured thousands of Minnesota consumers who purchased Comcast/Xfinity’s cable television packages,” the complaint said.
Comcast/Xfinity misrepresented in 2016 that a consumer would pay $122 per month “including the taxes and fees and equipment” for two years for a Cable Television Package.
According to the assurance of discontinuance, the AG’s Office alleges that Comcast provided inaccurate and misleading price information to consumers entering long-term contracts, leaving them stuck in agreements they could not afford.
Political spendingConfirmedYou decide
Comcast pays for Trump White House ballroom
Comcast pays for Trump's $300 million White House ballroom event.
COMCAST CORPORATION ABANDONS PROPOSED ACQUISITION OF TIME WARNER CABLE AFTER JUSTICE DEPARTMENT AND THE FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION INFORMED PARTIES OF CONCERNS
Corporate conductConfirmedAgainst
Comcast accused of gun jumping
Comcast required Time Warner Cable to get explicit approval for new channels, constituting gun jumping under federal antitrust law.
Fol- lowing the announcement of the Comcast / Time Warner Cable merger, in May 2014, a Time Warner Cable board member told Entertainment Studios that any channels to be launched on Time Warner Cable’s television platforms needed to be expressly approved by Comcast’s David Cohen—such conduct constitutes “gun jumping” in violation of federal antitrust law.
Workplace equityConfirmedYou decide
Comcast committed to diversity and inclusion
Comcast committed to diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace and its digital equity programs.
Comcast is committed to diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace and its digital equity programsComcast is committed to diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace and its digital equity programs
Comcast is committed to diversity, equality and inclusion in the workplace and its digital equity programs
Political spendingConfirmedYou decide
Comcast donated to GOP lawmakers objecting to election results
Comcast is listed as a top PAC donor to 147 GOP lawmakers who objected to certified election results during the 2020 cycle.
UPS, along with AT&T and Comcast, is listed among the top PAC donors during the 2020 election cycle to the 147 GOP lawmakers who objected the Electoral College results, according to OpenSecrets.
AT&T and Comcast Suspend Donations to Lawmakers Who Tried to Overturn 2020 Election
OpenSecrets found that Comcast ranked 20th on a list that includes Koch Industries, Boeing, Lockheed Martin and dozens of other companies. The cable giant gave $356,500 to candidates who openly disputed former President Donald Trump’s reelection defeat, making it an outlier among its media-industry peers.
Comcast Is a Media Outlier After Contributing $360,000 to Election Deniers - TheWrap
Workplace equityConfirmedYou decide
Comcast was a founding member of Inclusion Initiative
Comcast was a founding member of the Inclusion Initiative, a collaborative effort to increase retention of minority- and women-owned law firms and support diverse lawyers at majority-owned firms.
Comcast was a founding member of the Inclusion Initiative, a collaborative effort of forward-looking companies committed to a measurable increase in the retention of minority- and women-owned law firms by Corporate America and to working with diverse lawyers at majority owned law firms.
To support the National Association of Minority & Women Owned Law Firms’ (NAMWOLF), a non-profit trade association comprised of minority-and women- owned law firms, Comcast supports diverse bar associations and professional organizations. The company’s legal department has an active and engaged diversity and inclusion committee that seeks to encourage the hiring, use, and retention of lawyers and law firm’s representative of all communities.
Corporate conductConfirmedAgainst
Comcast seeks info on board member payment
Viamedia challenges Comcast's motion to compel information about a board member's potential payment, arguing disclosure has already occurred.
Viamedia wants an Illinois federal court to declare moot Comcast's motion to compel information about one of its board members, saying it has already disclosed how much the key witness in question stands to be paid if Viamedia comes out on top in the antitrust battle.
Corporate conductConfirmedAgainst
Comcast gains buy right to GE shares
Comcast can buy 50 percent of GE's initial ownership interest five years after closing and all remaining ownership interest eight years after closing if GE does not exercise its first redemption right.
If GE does not exercise its first redemption right, Comcast will have the right to buy 50 percent of GE’s initial ownership interest five years after closing and all of GE’s remaining ownership interest eight years after closing.
Elections & votingConfirmedYou decide
Comcast made donations to Republican lawmakers
Comcast and its political action committees donated to Republican lawmakers who authored voter suppression bills signed into law.
In the following months, however, Comcast and its political action committees made donations to several Republican lawmakers who authored voter suppression bills that were signed into law last year.
LGBTQ+ policiesConfirmedYou decide
Comcast named Top 20 on DiversityInc's 2023 List
Comcast NBCUniversal was named a Top 20 Company on DiversityInc’s Top 50 List in 2023, placing 13th for diversity.
In 2023, Comcast NBCUniversal was named a Top 20 Company on DiversityInc’s Top 50 List, placing 13th overall for diversity, recognized as a Leading Disability Employer by the National Organization on Disability (NOD), recognized as a ‘5-star company’ in the 2023 Hispanic Association of Corporate Responsibility (HACR) Corporate Inclusion Index in all four pillars (Employment, Procurement, Philanthropy, and Governance), named a 2023 Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality by Human Rights Campaign (HRC), recognized as the nation’s No. 1 telecommunications company and No. 2 overall employer in “Best for Vets” ranked by Military Times, and, for the 10th year, the Human Rights Campaign Foundation has given Comcast NBCUniversal a score of 100 on their Corporate Equality Index, which measures LGBTQ+ equality in the workplace.
Lastly, the National Organization on Disability named Comcast NBCUniversal a 2023 Leading Disability Employer, recognizing its commitment to promoting employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities and prioritizing diversity, equity, and accessibility in the workplace, and, for the ninth consecutive year, Comcast NBCUniversal was recognized as a Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion, receiving a top score of 100 on the annual Disability Equality Index (DEI).
He noted that the Human Rights Campaign regularly ranks Comcast high on its Corporate Equality Index and that Comcast prioritizes working with LGBTQ-run vendors.
Wages & economic policyConfirmedYou decide
Comcast reports federal lobbying activities
Comcast files quarterly reports with Congress on its federal lobbying activities and complies with state disclosure laws.
Comcast noted that it files quarterly reports with Congress about its federal lobbying activities and that it follows state disclosure laws.
Corporate conductRulingAgainst
The European Commission fined NBCUniversal
Antitrust: Commission fines NBCUniversal €14.3 million for restricting sales of film merchandise products Brussels, 30 January 2020 The European Commission has fined several companies belonging to Comcast Corporation, including NBCUniversal LLC, (“NBCUniversal”) €14 327 000 for restricting traders from selling licensed merchandise within the European Economic Area (EEA) to territories and customers beyond those allocated to them.
Antitrust: Commission fines NBCUniversal €14.3 million for restricting sales of film merchandise products Brussels, 30 January 2020 The European Commission has fined several companies belonging to Comcast Corporation, including NBCUniversal LLC, (“NBCUniversal”) €14 327 000 for restricting traders from selling licensed merchandise within the European Economic Area (EEA) to territories and customers beyond those allocated to them.
Antitrust: Commission fines NBCUniversal €14.3 million for restricting sales of film merchandise products The European Commission has fined several companies belonging to Comcast Corporation, including NBCUniversal LLC, (“NBCUniversal”) €14 327 000 for restricting traders from selling licensed merchandise within the European Economic Area (EEA) to territories and customers beyond those allocated to them.
Workplace equitySettlementAgainst
Comcast settlement over workplace discrimination
The department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) said it accused Comcast of discriminating against Black workers in engineering and program project management, as well as Hispanic employees in marketing and strategic planning.
Department of Labor and Comcast Corp. – headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – have entered into a conciliation agreement to resolve allegations of pay discrimination against African American and Hispanic employees identified by the Department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).
Comcast agrees to pay $295,000 to settle pay discrimination allegations
The department’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) said it accused Comcast of discriminating against Black workers in engineering and program project management, as well as Hispanic employees in marketing and strategic planning.
Privacy & surveillanceSettlementAgainst
Comcast settlement over financial law
The settlement involving Comcast concerns sensitive customer information.
“In this case, plaintiffs alleged Comcast didn't adequately protect sensitive customer information, while Comcast denies wrongdoing,” Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor for the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek.
The settlement resolves a lawsuit alleging Comcast failed to implement adequate cybersecurity protections, which allowed hackers to access customer information during a 2023 cyberattack.
Comcast Xfinity Settlement: How to File Claim in $117M Lawsuit - Newsweek
Privacy & surveillanceRulingAgainst
Comcast faces ruling over Service Protection Plan (SPP)
Customer call recordings and internal documents show that not only were Comcast agents adding the Service Protection Plan (SPP) to accounts without customer consent, the company knew its agents were doing it.
Ferguson, who filed the lawsuit in King County Superior Court, said at a news conference that in addition to its misleading service protection plan, Philadelphia-based Comcast committed more than 1.8 million violations of the state’s Consumer Protection Act by charging improper service call fees and using improper credit screening practices.
According to the lawsuit, Comcast misled 500,000 customers in Washington state by having them pay a $4.99 monthly fee to avoid being charged if a technician visited their home to fix an issue covered by the plan.
At trial, members of the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Division detailed Comcast’s illegal practices, and presented call recordings and internal communications that showed Comcast knew deceptive practices were occurring.
OLYMPIA — A King County Superior Court judge today ruled that multi-billion dollar telecommunications conglomerate Comcast violated the Consumer Protection Act more than 445,000 times when it charged tens of thousands of Washingtonians for its Service Protection Plan without their consent.
Customer call recordings and internal documents show that not only were Comcast agents adding the Service Protection Plan (SPP) to accounts without customer consent, the company knew its agents were doing it.
AG Ferguson: Judge finds Comcast violated the Consumer Protection Act nearly half a million times | Washington State
The court found that Comcast added the SPP to the accounts of 30,946 Washingtonians without their knowledge, and did not tell an additional 18,660 Washingtonians the true cost of the plan.
Judge Timothy Bradshaw ordered Comcast to pay nearly $9.1 million in penalties, in addition to providing restitution to tens of thousands of Washington Service Protection Plan customers.
The court ordered Comcast to issue the refunds within 60 days and report to the state on the specific details and amounts.
Previous to today’s judgment against Comcast, the largest consumer protection award to the state as a result of a trial is $4.3 million, that was awarded to the state after a 2016 trial in Ferguson’s case against Living Essentials and Innovation Ventures over the company’s misrepresentations about 5-hour Energy.
Although it knew about the practice, known as “slamming,” Comcast made no changes to subscription practices until mid-2017, after Ferguson filed his lawsuit against the cable and internet giant.
The court ordered Comcast to refund affected consumers, and pay 12 percent interest on the restitution.
Comcast deceived consumers even when mentioning the SPP, telling them the SPP plan was “free” when they signed up, when in fact, Comcast would automatically charge them every month after the first month.
A sample of recorded calls between SPP subscribers and Comcast representatives obtained by the Attorney General’s Office reveal that Comcast may have signed up more than half of all SPP subscribers without their consent.
Even when Comcast actually mentioned the SPP on the sales call before signing consumers up for the SPP, Comcast continued to engage in deception.
The Attorney General’s Office alleges this pattern of deception is a systemic issue throughout Comcast’s marketing and “sale” of the SPP, and represents potentially tens of thousands of new violations of the Washington state Consumer Protection Act.
AG Ferguson’s lawsuit reveals Comcast deceived customers, charged for service plans without consent | Washington State
“This new evidence makes clear that Comcast’s conduct is even more egregious than we first realized,” Ferguson said. “The extent of their deception is shocking, and I will hold them accountable for their treatment of Washington consumers.”
Rather, Comcast often told subscribers the SPP was added for “free” to their account.
SEATTLE — Today Attorney General Bob Ferguson amended his lawsuit against Comcast to include new evidence revealing even more deceptive conduct than previously alleged.