AT&T Sues Advertising Watchdog Over Claims Of Truthful Speech Suppression

• AT&T has taken the National Advertising Division to court, accusing the watchdog of trying to silence its truthful ads criticizing T-Mobile’s marketing record.
• The lawsuit said NAD’s cease-and-desist order violates AT&T’s right to share verified information from NAD’s own public findings.
• NAD decisions between 2022 and 2025 concluded that several T-Mobile ads were misleading. 

AT&T Inc. (T) has filed a lawsuit against the National Advertising Division (NAD), alleging that the organization is attempting to suppress truthful statements about competitor T-Mobile US Inc. (TMUS). 

The telecom giant’s legal move follows a cease-and-desist letter from NAD demanding the immediate withdrawal of an AT&T advertising campaign and related press materials.

Background

AT&T’s recent advertising campaign, “Ain’t Our First Rodeo,” highlighted alleged instances of false or unsubstantiated claims by T-Mobile.

The dispute centers on AT&T’s claim that NAD has found T-Mobile’s marketing to be misleading on at least 16 occasions over the past four years. 

AT&T stock traded over 1% lower on Thursday afternoon. On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around the stock shifted to ‘bearish’ from ‘bullish’ territory the previous day amid ‘high’ message volume levels. 

Legal Clash Over Truthful Speech

AT&T’s complaint contends that NAD’s actions represent a “credible threat of imminent litigation,” after several television networks paused its commercials at NAD’s request. 

The company insists its marketing only summarizes information NAD itself has disclosed publicly and that any attempt to restrict such speech violates First Amendment principles. 

The lawsuit asks a federal court to confirm that NAD lacks authority to enforce demands that amount to censorship.

According to AT&T’s filing, T-Mobile has faced repeated reprimands from NAD for claims about its 5G reliability, home internet speeds, and “Price Lock Guarantee” offers. 

NAD decisions between 2022 and 2025 concluded that multiple T-Mobile ads were “unsupported” or “misleading.” AT&T cited that despite those findings, T-Mobile has delayed implementing corrections.

AT&T stock has gained over 8% in 2025 and over 12% in the last 12 months. 

Also See: Palantir Accuses Former Executives Of Stealing: What Does AI Have To Do With It?

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