AT&T promises not to block apps, forgetting it has blocked FaceTime

Major corporations like AT&T, Comcast, Time Warner, and Verizon have been doing everything possible to get the FCC to repeal the current net neutrality rules, allowing them to regulate traffic and pick favorites in a way that has never been possible before. Both Comcast and AT&T have gone on record “promising” not to introduce throttling or app blocking, but these companies seem to forget their own history.

Back in 2012, the company blocked FaceTime for iPhone users and put in place a plan that would require iPhone users to pay more in order to use FaceTime over a cellular connection. FaceTime was only enabled on AT&T’s cellular network when customers signed up for the Mobile Share data plan, which required them to give up their unlimited perks.

This sort of throttling is exactly what AT&T hopes to return to with the removal of net neutrality rules, and it really says something when the companies lobbying against net neutrality are those who control access to information on the internet. Check out this chart showing the top three companies that lobbied against net neutrality from 2005-2013.

It’s no coincidence that Verizon, Comcast, and AT&T make up the top three slots. The company can go on record with as many promises as it wants to make, but the fact is we have evidence that AT&T would block anything it can if the rules are repealed. This is why the battle for net neutrality is so important.