T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T will pay a combined $10.2 million in a settlement with US states that alleged the carriers falsely advertised wireless plans as "unlimited" and phones as "free." The deal was announced yesterday by New York Attorney General Letitia James.
"A multistate investigation found that the companies made false claims in advertisements in New York and across the nation, including misrepresentations about 'unlimited' data plans that were in fact limited and had reduced quality and speed after a certain limit was reached by the user," the announcement said.
T-Mobile and Verizon agreed to pay $4.1 million each while AT&T agreed to pay a little over $2 million. The settlement includes AT&T subsidiary Cricket Wireless and Verizon subsidiary TracFone.
[...]
The carriers denied any illegal conduct despite agreeing to the settlement. In addition to payments to each state, the carriers agreed to changes in their advertising practices. It's unclear whether consumers will get any refunds out of the settlement, however.
[...]
The three carriers agreed that all advertisements to consumers must be "truthful, accurate and non-misleading." They also agreed to the following changes, the NY attorney general's office said:
- "Unlimited" mobile data plans can only be marketed if there are no limits on the quantity of data allowed during a billing cycle.
- Offers to pay for consumers to switch to a different wireless carrier must clearly disclose how much a consumer will be paid, how consumers will be paid, when consumers can expect payment, and any additional requirements consumers have to meet to get paid.
- Offers of "free" wireless devices or services must clearly state everything a consumer must do to receive the "free" devices or services.
- Offers to lease wireless devices must clearly state that the consumer will be entering into a lease agreement.
- All "savings" claims must have a reasonable basis. If a wireless carrier claims that consumers will save using its services compared to another wireless carrier, the claim must be based on similar goods or services or differences must be clearly explained to the consumer.
The advertising restrictions are to be in place for five years.
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(Score: 0, Troll) by DadaDoofy on Wednesday May 15, @02:40PM (7 children)
"The advertising restrictions are to be in place for five years."
Not the least bit surprising, coming from the thoroughly corrupt and despicable Letitia James. So after five years, this kind of advertising is no longer false? Or is it just a way to extract more millions when the clock runs out?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 15, @05:47PM
Corrupt? Details please.
Despicable? How, exactly?
(Score: 4, Insightful) by mcgrew on Wednesday May 15, @05:59PM (5 children)
Not the least bit surprising, coming from the thoroughly corrupt and despicable Letitia James.
Isn't she the one charging King Donald the Fraud with felonies? Read about the third Reich, that's what Trump will bring. My uncles waged a war against people like Trump and Musk. Uncle Bill shot a Nazi point blank, never told anyone until his death bed, when he told Grandma.
If your boy wins, Ukraine and Gaza ceace to exist, along with possibly the already tattered constitution. WWIII is likely, starting with Poland after Russia takes Ukraine. Why do you hate America, Ivan?
"Nobody knows everything about anything." — Dr Jerry Morton, Journey to Madness
(Score: 0, Troll) by DadaDoofy on Wednesday May 15, @09:49PM (4 children)
Newsflash, the tired old trope of the Nazis (FYI, National Socialists) being "far right" is a ship that's sailed. When you have the far-left rioting violently on colleges campuses across the nation, chanting anti-Semitic slogans, and playing the role of modern day brown shirts, it's pretty easy to see who the real Nazis are.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 15, @10:31PM
Shocked, I say! Not.
https://www.jta.org/2021/04/22/united-states/conservatives-are-more-likely-than-liberals-to-hold-anti-semitic-views-survey-finds [jta.org]
https://forward.com/fast-forward/423538/every-extremist-anti-semitic-incident-tracked-by-adl-was-carried-out-by/ [forward.com]
https://www.npr.org/2024/04/25/1247253244/unpacking-the-truth-of-antisemitism-on-college-campuses [npr.org]
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/02/us/politics/antisemitism-jews-republicans-democrats-congress.html [nytimes.com]
https://www.isdglobal.org/digital_dispatches/from-left-to-right-an-overview-of-the-veiled-antisemitism-threat-landscape-online/ [isdglobal.org]
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/nov/21/great-replacement-theory-antisemitism-racism-rightwing-mainstream [theguardian.com]
I could fill an entire post with links like the above, but you're not worth the effort, jackass.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday May 15, @10:54PM
Denying the good works of your Aryan brothers, are you?
You'll pay for that -- Race traitor!
(Score: 4, Funny) by mcgrew on Thursday May 16, @03:43PM (1 child)
The Nazis, like the Communists, call themselves "socialist" but you should expect Nazis and Communists to be bald faced liars. Sweden is Socialist.
And Netanyahu is committing genocide, or at least war crimes. They have killed more civilians than combatants and are refusing to let aid in, starving them. Those protesters (riots? sure, Donnie boy) are certainly not "far left".
Shut off that Fox and Newsmax and read a newspaper!
"Nobody knows everything about anything." — Dr Jerry Morton, Journey to Madness
(Score: 2, Insightful) by khallow on Friday May 17, @01:00AM
It's not a war crime when civilians are being used to protect military targets - and certainly not genocide which is ridiculous puffery here. My take here: let Israel destroy Hamas. Then evaluate whether any war crimes actually occurred in the process.