July 19, 2019

Statement by Gerard Scimeca, Vice President, Consumer Action for a Strong Economy (CASE), in response to announcement that AT&T has arranged for Verizon to manage its ATT.net portal

“The surprising announcement that Verizon will now manage AT&T’s .net portal, in addition to already managing its email service, raises serious concerns regarding market concentration of digital and financial assets, as well as consumer privacy and security. Verizon and AT&T are communications Goliaths with more than 300 million combined subscribers to their vertically integrated platforms of service and content. This burgeoning partnership between two competitors has the potential to quash competition in the digital space and displace the mechanisms of innovation that have been invaluable for consumers and the economic interests of our nation. Verizon and AT&T must be forthcoming about the terms of this partnership and what steps they are taking to ensure that it doesn’t lead to anticompetitive behavior that will harm consumers and stifle innovation.”