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    AT&T’s fight with T-Mobile just dragged the ad watchdog into court

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    AT&T is suing the National Advertising Division (NAD) to protect its ad campaign that calls out T-Mobile. Yes, you read that right: they’re suing the ad watchdog, not their actual competitor.

    What’s all this drama about?

    You may recall that we reported on AT&T launching a new ad campaign, “Ain’t Our First Rodeo,” that directly targets T-Mobile. The ads claim the NAD — a watchdog part of the Better Business Bureau in charge of reviewing advertising claims of wrongdoing — has found T-Mobile‘s advertising to be false or misleading at least 16 times in the last four years, which is factual. However, the NAD apparently didn’t appreciate being the star of AT&T‘s show and asked them to pull the campaign, as this violates the agreement that NAD findings couldn’t be used for self-promotion.Instead of complying, AT&T felt justified in filing a lawsuit against the NAD. The company is essentially asking the court to declare that they have a First Amendment right to “speak truthfully” about T-Mobile‘s track record. The filing of this lawsuit has been made public by AT&T via a blog post that links directly to the filed complaint, and issues the below statement, positioning AT&T as the consumer’s champion:

    Some companies mislead customers; others stand up for them. We think all consumers deserve to hear the truth, even if it makes T-Mobile uncomfortable.

    Jeff McElfresh, AT&T‘s Chief Operating Officer

    Why is this carrier fight any different?

    Video Thumbnail

    The ad that started it all. | Video credit —AT&T 

    This isn’t just your standard T-Mobile vs. AT&T mudslinging; this pulls the industry’s self-regulatory body right into court. T-Mobile has spent years building its “Un-carrier” reputation, promising things like transparent billing and “price lock” guarantees. AT&T is aiming squarely at that image, using the NAD’s own past findings as ammunition.

    In its complaint, AT&T alleges T-Mobile games the “slow” NAD process, letting them keep “deceptive advertisements on the air for months.” They’re not just calling T-Mobile a liar; they’re accusing them of being the “un-truthful carrier” and claiming the watchdog (NAD) is ineffective at stopping them. It leaves consumers stuck in the middle, trying to figure out if anyone is telling the whole truth.

    This is a tricky one

    Honestly, it’s tough to pick a side here. It’s no secret that T-Mobile has a history of questionable claims; we’ve covered plenty of them ourselves. But let’s be fair, AT&T is hardly a saint in the carrier wars, and frankly, the entire industry has a problem with transparency. So, taking sides is difficult when it feels like no one has the clean hands they claim to.

    Personally, I can see why the NAD wouldn’t want its rulings used as ammunition in a competitor’s ad campaign—that’s a standard rule for them. It feels like AT&T is trying to claim the moral high ground as the “truthful carrier,” but they don’t really have the spotless record to back that up. Suing the watchdog itself is certainly a bold (and strange) strategy. We don’t know how the court will rule, but one thing is for sure: this is going to be a fascinating case to watch.

    Read the latest from Johanna Romero

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