DirecTV, which is 70% owned by AT&T, dropped conservative news networks One America News Network (OANN) and Newsmax in March 2022 and January 2023 respectively (1)(2)(3). Newsmax alleged censorship, but AT&T and DirecTV have rebutted that the decision was based on failed negotiations over cable fees (4)(5). AT&T and Newsmax eventually reached an agreement, and Newsmax was returned to the air after several months (6). AT&T’s advertising unit formerly blacklisted Breitbart, though the CEO reversed course after pressure from conservatives (7). AT&T, along with other major telecommunications companies, cut off the Trump campaign’s texting service for five days in the 2020 election cycle. Each company claimed it was a third-party anti-spam decision, although the Trump campaign thought the decision might have been politically motivated (8). AT&T received a score of 100 on the Corporate Equality Index from the HRC. Among other requirements, this means the company has pledged to vet vendors based on LGBTQ policies (9).

AT&T Foundation does not discriminate against religious organizations through its charitable giving (1). AT&T amplifies employee volunteering efforts and donations by allowing for grant applications to these charities (2)(3).

AT&T does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (1).

AT&T advocates for the Equality Act and transgender participation in girls’ and women’s sports (1)(2). AT&T also opposed various state legislature’s efforts to secure their elections with voting integrity bills (3). AT&T opposed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which prohibits teaching gender identity and sexual orientation in schools to kids in K-3rd grade (4). AT&T is committed to ESG (environmental, social, and governance) goals (5). AT&T has signed the OneTen pledge, furthering emphasis on race in hiring (6). AT&T has introduced a “racial re-education” program, which encourages employees to refer to an essay stating that white people are “the problem” and that racism is a “solely white trait” (7). Former AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson is a member of the Business Roundtable and signed its 2019 Statement on the Purpose of Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism over traditional obligations to shareholders and customers (8)(9). AT&T CEO John Stankey is a signatory of the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion pledge (10).

AT&T has donated to Planned Parenthood and the Human Rights Campaign (1)(2)(3). AT&T has also funded partisan advocacy groups like Color of Change (4). AT&T has pledged over $20 million to the Black Lives Matter movement and related causes (5)(6). AT&T is a brass sponsor of Out & Equal and a corporate partner of the National LGBT Chamber of Commerce (7)(8). In 2023, AT&T pledged $1 million over two years to The Trevor Project (9). AT&T hosted Miami Beach Pride (10). AT&T has a perfect score on the HRC’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index. This score indicates the company covers the cost of “medically necessary transition-related care” for its employees and their children (11)(12).

AT&T has not used its PAC donations for ideological purposes (1)(2).