FTC Sues AT&T for Throttling Unlimited Data Customers Up to 90%

[drmike]

The Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit in San Francisco Federal Court against AT&T over its practice of throttling unlimited data plan customers, some by 90%.

http://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/cases/141028attcmpt.pdf

Hopefully the FTC gets busy smacking the cellular companies for their pitiful behavior and massive overcharging of customers.

 

[Darwin]

Don't know if it's my tinfoil hat, but I read that a lot different.


AT&T is doing that for almost four years, FTC ignored and now, that a lot of customers have migrated to other plans, FTC "decides" to sue.


AT&T and FTC will settle on terms that will sound like a major victory for FTC, while AT&T lols.


This happens in every single country that happens to have those fake regulatory/ independent agencies.

 

[Aldryic C'boas]

I agree with Darwin on this one.  FTC has always had a habit of odd bedmates and situations, but they'll usually take a bit more care to wipe the lipstick from their collar.

 

[drmike]

Well I agree the FTC and FCC do little to nothing to properly regulate the cell co's.

Definitely as Ald said - old bedmates.

Even if it's late and something little, ideally it's a direction of more things to come.

 

[Onra Host]

It's a step in the right direction at least. 80% of the plans users probably don't even notice they their phones are being throttled. 

 

[WSWD]

AT&T is doing that for almost four years, FTC ignored and now, that a lot of customers have migrated to other plans, FTC "decides" to sue.

This isn't the first lawsuit.  AT&T and Verizon have both lost multi-million dollar lawsuits in the past over this.  That's why neither of them have unlimited data plans anymore.  In fact, AT&T settled a class action lawsuit as recently as last year over the unlimited data claims on the iPad.

Honestly, I wish something like this would come to the hosting industry.  I've been saying for years that all it would take is major class action suits against some of the big players, EIG, for example, and things would be changed forever.  But lawyers don't work for free, and there is little interest in the hosting industry.