Is Comcast ethical?

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Workplace equity Allegation

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.

2 sourcesRead sources
arstechnica.com
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
patch.com
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 & surveillance Settlement

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.

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finance.yahoo.com
Comcast (CMCSA) Agrees To $117.5 Million Xfinity Data Breach Settlement
finance.yahoo.com
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.
finance.yahoo.com
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.
finance.yahoo.com
Comcast (CMCSA) Agrees $117.5 Million Settlement Over Massive Customer Data Breach
nypost.com
Comcast publicly disclosed the breach on Dec.
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.
cnbc.com
Comcast agreed to the settlement in January the courts gave final approval to the deal on Aug.
newsweek.com
Comcast has agreed to a $117.5 million class-action settlement tied to concerns over a cybersecurity breach that may have exposed customer data.
newsweek.com
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
usatoday.com
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.
usatoday.com
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.
usatoday.com
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.
usatoday.com
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 conduct Confirmed

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.

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sec.gov
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 equity Allegation

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.

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sec.gov
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

Corporate conduct Settlement

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.

3 sourcesRead sources
arstechnica.com
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.
cnet.com
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.
mass.gov
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

Workplace equity Confirmed

Comcast paid civil rights groups for advocacy

Comcast paid civil rights groups to advocate publicly on its behalf to influence the Federal Communications Commission.

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law.cornell.edu
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.
supremecourt.gov
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.
supremecourt.gov
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.
supremecourt.gov
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 & energy Settlement

Comcast settles for discarding customer data

Comcast settled after discarding documents with sensitive customer information without shredding them.

2 sourcesRead sources
oag.ca.gov
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.
ftc.gov
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.

Corporate conduct Allegation

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?

1 sourceRead sources
arstechnica.com
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 conduct Allegation

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.

3 sourcesRead sources
apnews.com
(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.
atg.wa.gov
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
buzzfeednews.com
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 conduct Allegation

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.

2 sourcesRead sources
arstechnica.com
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.
mass.gov
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.