AT&T has filed a lawsuit against the advertising industry’s official watchdog, the BBB National Programs’ National Advertising Division (NAD), challenging the demand to cease using NAD’s rulings for promotional purposes. The dispute arose after the NAD, responsible for self-regulation in the U.S. advertising industry, found AT&T in violation of rules for leveraging its process and findings in AT&T’s promotional content.
While both AT&T and T-Mobile have a history of contentious ad campaigns, AT&T recently launched ads positioning itself as a source of truth, criticizing T-Mobile for alleged promise-breaking. In response to the NAD’s objection, AT&T has defended its campaign in a lawsuit, asserting its right to expose competitors’ deceptive advertising practices and opposing the NAD’s censorship demands.
The lawsuit seeks a court declaration affirming AT&T’s adherence to NAD procedures and challenging the NAD’s authority to enforce censorship. AT&T claims that the NAD’s actions have led to the withdrawal of its ads from multiple TV networks, citing baseless accusations as detrimental to its advertising reach.
Source: Ars Technica