The National Advertising Division (NAD) of BBB National Programs has determined that AT&T Services, Inc. violated Section 2.1(I) of the NAD/NARB Procedures by using NAD findings for promotional purposes.
AT&T issued a press release and ran a video ad referencing the outcomes of a competitor’s participation in the self-regulatory process—actions prohibited under the NAD procedures, which explicitly forbid mischaracterizing or leveraging decisions, abstracts, or press releases for advertising or marketing purposes.
The NAD has ordered AT&T to immediately remove the promotional materials and refrain from any future dissemination.
“The integrity and success of the self-regulatory forum depend on voluntary adherence to NAD rules,” said the NAD statement. “Fair dealing is essential, and AT&T’s misuse of NAD decisions undermines our mission to promote truth, accuracy, and consumer trust in advertising.”
BBB National Programs emphasizes that participation in NAD proceedings is voluntary, and all parties must follow both the letter and spirit of the rules. This ruling reinforces the importance of ethical use of regulatory outcomes in marketing and highlights NAD’s ongoing commitment to preserving trust in self-regulation.
All NAD/NARB procedural details and case summaries are publicly available for reference, though they cannot be used for promotional purposes.
