AT&T Violates BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division Procedures
New York, NY – October 24, 2025 – BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division today determined that AT&T Services, Inc. violated Section 2.1(I) of the National Advertising Division (NAD)/National Advertising Review Board (NARB) Procedures for the U.S. advertising industry’s process of self-regulation by issuing a video advertisement and press release that use the NAD process and its findings for promotional purposes.
NAD has demanded that AT&T immediately remove such violative promotional materials and cease all future dissemination.
The NAD Procedures specifically state that:
2.1(I)(2) By participating in an NAD or NARB proceeding, the parties agree...
(b) not to mischaracterize any decision, abstract, or press release issued or use and/or disseminate such decision, abstract or press release for advertising and/or promotional purposes."
In direct violation of this, AT&T has run an ad and issued a press release making representations regarding the alleged results of a competitor’s participation in BBB National Program’s advertising industry self-regulatory process.
The integrity and success of the self-regulatory forum hinges on the voluntary agreement of participants in an NAD proceeding to abide by the rules set forth in the BBB National Programs’ Procedures. As a voluntary process, fair dealing on the part of the parties is essential and requires adherence to both the letter and the spirit of the process.
AT&T’s violation of its agreement under the Procedures and its misuse of NAD’s decisions for promotional purposes undermines NAD’s mission to promote truth and accuracy of advertising claims and foster consumer trust in the marketplace.
Access the NAD/NARB Procedures.
All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive. Per NAD/NARB Procedures, this release may not be used for promotional purposes.
NAD has demanded that AT&T immediately remove such violative promotional materials and cease all future dissemination.
The NAD Procedures specifically state that:
2.1(I)(2) By participating in an NAD or NARB proceeding, the parties agree...
(b) not to mischaracterize any decision, abstract, or press release issued or use and/or disseminate such decision, abstract or press release for advertising and/or promotional purposes."
In direct violation of this, AT&T has run an ad and issued a press release making representations regarding the alleged results of a competitor’s participation in BBB National Program’s advertising industry self-regulatory process.
The integrity and success of the self-regulatory forum hinges on the voluntary agreement of participants in an NAD proceeding to abide by the rules set forth in the BBB National Programs’ Procedures. As a voluntary process, fair dealing on the part of the parties is essential and requires adherence to both the letter and the spirit of the process.
AT&T’s violation of its agreement under the Procedures and its misuse of NAD’s decisions for promotional purposes undermines NAD’s mission to promote truth and accuracy of advertising claims and foster consumer trust in the marketplace.
Access the NAD/NARB Procedures.
All BBB National Programs case decision summaries can be found in the case decision library. For the full text of NAD, NARB, and CARU decisions, subscribe to the online archive. Per NAD/NARB Procedures, this release may not be used for promotional purposes.