AT&T

DirecTV, which is 70% owned by AT&T, dropped conservative news networks One America News Network (OANN) and Newsmax in March 2022 and January 2022 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 likely uses Benevity as its charitable giving platform. Benevity vets charities according to the Southern Poverty Law Center’s Hate List, which includes mainstream libertarian, conservative, family, and religious advocacy organizations (1)(2)(3).

AT&T had a history of divisive employment policies. However, in March 2025, the company pledged to end DEI quotas in its career development programs, scholarship programs, and supply chain. Furthermore, it pledged to remove pronoun pins from its employee style guide and ensure that Employee Resource Groups are focused on business (1)(2). AT&T does not provide viewpoint protections for its employees (3).

AT&T signed an open letter endorsing the Equality Act, a contentious proposal to amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act by adding sexual orientation and so-called gender identity as protected categories. The legislation would, among other implications, grant biological men access to women-only spaces such as sports teams and public restrooms, and compel healthcare providers to deliver sex-denying healthcare (1). AT&T also opposed various state legislature’s efforts to secure their elections with voting integrity bills (2). AT&T opposed the Florida Parental Rights in Education Act, which would prohibit teaching gender identity and sexual orientation to kids in K-3rd grade (3). Former AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson is a member of the Business Roundtable and signed its 2019 Statement on the Purpose of a Corporation, which promotes stakeholder capitalism over traditional obligations to shareholders (4)(5). AT&T opposed various state and local legislation intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (6)(7). The company opposed legislation in Iowa intended to protect parental rights, girls’ sports, bathroom facilities, and gendered spaces (8). AT&T had a long history of using its reputation to promote divisive causes. However, in March 2025, the company pledged to no longer have a DEI Officer, stop filling out the so-called Corporate Equality Index, focus on growing its small business supplier base, and ensure strategy will focus only on what grows the business (9).

AT&T provides a benefits package for employees that covers travel/lodging costs for an abortion and transgender medical procedures for covered employees and dependents, including children (1)(2)(3)(4). AT&T was a Premier Tier corporate sponsor of the Trevor Project, an organization that advocates for controversial sex and gender ideology, including “gender transition” drugs and surgeries for minors, through legislation, litigation, advertising, and PR campaigns. The organization also hosts online chatrooms that allow adults to communicate with minors as young as 13 about sexually explicit topics. Adults in these chatrooms have encouraged minors to adopt transgender identities and withhold this information from their parents (5)(6)(7)(8)(9). However, in March 2025, the company pledged to end its partnership with the Trevor Project (10). AT&T had a long history of using its funds to promote divisive causes. However, in March 2025, the company pledged to ensure all AT&T sponsorships align with business priorities (11). Cricket, a subsidiary of AT&T, sponsored the 2025 Pride “Bigger Than” Texas Festival (12). Otherwise, there are no publicly known cases of AT&T using corporate funds to advance ideological causes, organizations, or policies (13).

In 2024, AT&T donated to the LGBT Caucus Leadership Fund (California) (1). The company has not lobbied for ideological purposes (2)(3)(4). AT&T has a political engagement and a Transparency report (5)(6).