Recommendation to Our Subscribers on Your E-Mail Provider

“In September 2007, AT&T changed its legal policy to state that “AT&T may immediately terminate or suspend all or a portion of your Service, any Member ID, electronic mail address, IP address, Universal Resource Locator or domain name used by you, without notice for conduct that AT&T believes … (c) tends to damage the name or reputation of AT&T, or its parents, affiliates and subsidiaries.” By October 10, 2007, AT&T had altered the terms and conditions for its Internet service to explicitly support freedom of expression by its subscribers, after an outcry claiming the company had given itself the right to censor its subscribers’ transmissions. Section 5.1 of AT&T’s new terms of service now reads “AT&T respects freedom of expression and believes it is a foundation of our free society to express differing points of view. AT&T will not terminate, disconnect or suspend service because of the views you or we express on public policy matters, political issues or political campaigns.” ~ From Wikipedia entry on AT&T

Solari received a notification from AT& this week as follows:

Thank you for contacting the AT&T Postmaster.

The mail-server IP address(es) associated with your request will be removed from the block list within 24-48 hours from the date of this letter. AT&T and its affiliates do NOT intentionally block legitimate mail in the course of our anti-spam initiatives and regret any inconvenience this may have caused. If the IP that was recently blocked begins to exhibit the characteristics of a compromised network object or is compromised by an offender of Acceptable Use Policies, the IP address will be blocked again.

ADMINISTRATORS: Please thoroughly check your IP logs before requesting removal. You must determine that all traffic from the blocked IP is actually from your mail servers to ensure your network is not compromised. Administrators who fail to do this may experience subsequent and more resolute blocking.

Thank you for helping AT&T Internet Services network combat spam in all its forms.

Regards,
AT&T Postmaster

Chief Security Organization
abuse_rbl@abuse-att.net
https://www.att.com/postmaster/

Our tests indicate that the block has been removed. That took 15 months. You decide what that says about AT&T.]

By Catherine Austin Fitts

Table of Contents

I. Please Change Your E-mail Provider: AT&T
II. AT&T is Censoring Your Access & Failing to Disclose to You They are Doing So
III. Recommended E-mail
IV. How to Update Your E-mail Address at the Solari Report
V. Appendix A: Selected E-Mail Correspondence Related to AT&T Block of the Solari Report Domain Hosted at Liquid Web
VI. Appendix B: Overview/Background on AT&T
VII. Appendix C: Material Disclosures

Please Change Your E-mail Provider: AT&T

This commentary is written for our subscribers who use AT&T for their Internet service, including e-mail and web browsing. This includes both att.net as well as domains assumed in the process of acquisition or mergers, including: sbcglobal.net, bellsouth.net, swbell.net, pacbell.net, prodigy.net, flash.net, snet.net.

We recommend that you change the Internet service and e-mail you use to receive mailings from or browse the Solari Report – and indeed, all independent media – to a domain not controlled or owned by AT&T, and preferably to a domain not owned and controlled by any other large private telecommunications corporation or social media providers.

We have provided some suggestions for potential e-mail providers below.

AT&T is Censoring Your Access & Failing to Disclose to You They are Doing So

On February 23, the Solari website went offline for unknown reasons. I believe those reasons relate to historical as well as current covert interference from unidentified parties.

The Solari team has been working on a new website for several years. One of our goals was to create a website that would be less vulnerable to cyberwarfare attacks and interference. When our website went down, I made a decision to not invest time or money in bringing our existing website back up and instead focused our team on bringing up the new website in two phases. We launched the first phase on March 23. We have been actively working with our subscribers since to ensure that their access and usage to our site is working smoothly.

Additional major surprises from a large payment gateway regarding our account necessitated that we not use new subscription software that we had chosen and successfully tested on an extensive basis. Instead we needed to prototype new subscription software from our existing provider. This necessitated our requesting that our subscribers change their password for the new site.  Subscription communications relating to subscribers accounts – whether access, invoices, password changes or account management – necessitated a flow of e-mail communications throughout this period.

On February 23, 2018 we also identified that our subscriber email for our domain at our website host LiquidWeb was being blocked by Google, Yahoo, and AT&T.

Our systems administration personnel requested that the block be lifted, there being no basis (such as spamming) to block our e-mail. Google and Yahoo did so in a reasonable period of time.  AT&T did not. Thus began a five week process of our steadily working to get the AT& T block lifted and to receive an explanation regarding the basis for such a block. This effort continues without success.

We have provided selected email correspondence in the Appendix below to give you a flavor of the extraordinary time consuming nature of this situation for subscribers using AT&T internet services and for the Solari team. We have gone so far to reach out to AT&T personnel to help.  They insist that their technical team can find no evidence of a block or reason for a block at AT&T.

In addition, we took the extraordinary step of requesting a new IP Address from our website host Liquid Web, only to discover that AT&T had placed on block on it as of the time it went into the service – our first e-mail test was one AT&T e-mail address.

This is the equivalent of getting a speeding ticket from the police as you are signing the paperwork for your new car, and before you have driven it out of the dealers parking lot.

As a result of our experience and good faith effort to communicate with AT&T and provide numerous work arounds without success, we have concluded that AT&T is censoring your access and failing to disclose to you that they are doing so and why.  At this point, we feel that it is worth your time to make an effort to find a more trustworthy Internet service and e-mail provider.

Recommended E-mail

We or our subscribers have had good experience with the following e-mail providers:

• Startmail
• Protonmail
•  Local Internet Provider

Here is a list from Freedom Hacker (and another list for the dark web) of e-mail services that take privacy seriously.

Whatever service you use, please do not use an email package that consistently blocks information you have paid for and requested.

Please feel free to post any recommendations or comments below.

How to Update Your E-mail Address at the Solari Report

Once you have your new e-mail address, please forward it to support@solari.com. We will change your account e-mail address and issue you a new temporary password.  Your new user name will be your new e-mail address.  We will send you your temporary password on your new e-mail account.

Login to your account with your temporary password and update your password to one known only to you.

Postscript

I have been asked by subscribers to note that they believe to avoid this blockage that they need to change their ISP and cell provider, including pre-paid cell.

Appendix A: Selected E-Mail Correspondence Related to AT&T Block of the Solari Report Domain Hosted at Liquid Web

See link below.

https://www.att.com/esupport/article.html#!/dsl-high-speed/KM1010523

On 04/03/2018 03:21 AM, Catherine Austin Fitts wrote:

Need complete list of all domins owned/controlled by AT&T – can you resend? I can not find

FROM SOLARI SYSTEM ADMIN: 4/2/18 – AT&T Domain Blocks

@solarireport:/var/log# cat mail.log
Mar 30 15:53:17 solarireport postfix/pickup[12421]: 63DB7C07C7: uid=0 from=<root>
Mar 30 15:53:17 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: 63DB7C07C7: message-id=<20180330225317.63DB7C07C7@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:53:17 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 63DB7C07C7: from=<@solarireport.com>, size=324, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:53:20 solarireport postfix/smtp[17681]: 63DB7C07C7: to=<stupid@bellsouth.net>, relay=ff-ip4-mx-vip1.prodigy.net[144.160.159.21]:25, delay=2.9, delays=0.01/0/2.8/0.06, dsn=5.3.0, status=bounced (host ff-ip4-mx-vip1.prodigy.net[144.160.159.21] said: 553 5.3.0 flpd583 DNSBL:RBL 521< 67.225.154.50 >_is_blocked.For assistance forward this email to abuse_rbl@abuse-att.net (in reply to MAIL FROM command))
Mar 30 15:53:20 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: 507A4C0816: message-id=<20180330225320.507A4C0816@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:53:20 solarireport postfix/bounce[17682]: 63DB7C07C7: sender non-delivery notification: 507A4C0816
Mar 30 15:53:20 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 507A4C0816: from=<>, size=2447, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:53:20 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 63DB7C07C7: removed
Mar 30 15:53:20 solarireport postfix/local[17683]: 507A4C0816: to=<@solarireport.com>, relay=local, delay=0.01, delays=0/0/0/0, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (delivered to mailbox)
Mar 30 15:53:20 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 507A4C0816: removed
Mar 30 15:54:16 solarireport postfix/pickup[12421]: 2DAF2C07C7: uid=0 from=<root>
Mar 30 15:54:16 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: 2DAF2C07C7: message-id=<20180330225416.2DAF2C07C7@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:54:16 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 2DAF2C07C7: from=<@solarireport.com>, size=322, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:54:17 solarireport postfix/smtp[17681]: 2DAF2C07C7: to=<stupid@pacbell.net>, relay=ff-ip4-mx-vip2.prodigy.net[144.160.159.22]:25, delay=1.1, delays=0.01/0/1.1/0.05, dsn=5.3.0, status=bounced (host ff-ip4-mx-vip2.prodigy.net[144.160.159.22] said: 553 5.3.0 flph824 DNSBL:RBL 521< 67.225.154.50 >_is_blocked.For assistance forward this email to abuse_rbl@abuse-att.net (in reply to MAIL FROM command))
Mar 30 15:54:17 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: 5F1A4C0816: message-id=<20180330225417.5F1A4C0816@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:54:17 solarireport postfix/bounce[17682]: 2DAF2C07C7: sender non-delivery notification: 5F1A4C0816
Mar 30 15:54:17 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 5F1A4C0816: from=<>, size=2439, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:54:17 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 2DAF2C07C7: removed
Mar 30 15:54:17 solarireport postfix/local[17683]: 5F1A4C0816: to=<solarireport.com>, relay=local, delay=0.01, delays=0/0/0/0, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (delivered to mailbox)
Mar 30 15:54:17 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 5F1A4C0816: removed
Mar 30 15:54:55 solarireport postfix/pickup[12421]: DE618C07C7: uid=0 from=<root>
Mar 30 15:54:55 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: DE618C07C7: message-id=<20180330225455.DE618C07C7@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:54:55 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: DE618C07C7: from=<solarireport.com>, size=321, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:54:56 solarireport postfix/smtp[17681]: DE618C07C7: to=<stupid@swbell.net>, relay=al-ip4-mx-vip2.prodigy.net[144.160.235.144]:25, delay=0.25, delays=0.01/0/0.21/0.03, dsn=5.3.0, status=bounced (host al-ip4-mx-vip2.prodigy.net[144.160.235.144] said: 553 5.3.0 alph739 DNSBL:RBL 521< 67.225.154.50 >_is_blocked.For assistance forward this email to abuse_rbl@abuse-att.net (in reply to MAIL FROM command))
Mar 30 15:54:56 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: 2D2FDC0816: message-id=<20180330225456.2D2FDC0816@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:54:56 solarireport postfix/bounce[17682]: DE618C07C7: sender non-delivery notification: 2D2FDC0816
Mar 30 15:54:56 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 2D2FDC0816: from=<>, size=2436, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:54:56 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: DE618C07C7: removed
Mar 30 15:54:56 solarireport postfix/local[17683]: 2D2FDC0816: to=<solarireport.com>, relay=local, delay=0.01, delays=0/0/0/0, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (delivered to mailbox)
Mar 30 15:54:56 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 2D2FDC0816: removed
Mar 30 15:55:25 solarireport postfix/pickup[12421]: 7CA3DC07C7: uid=0 from=<root>
Mar 30 15:55:25 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: 7CA3DC07C7: message-id=<20180330225525.7CA3DC07C7@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:55:25 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 7CA3DC07C7: from=<@solarireport.com>, size=324, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:55:25 solarireport postfix/smtp[17681]: 7CA3DC07C7: to=<stupid@bellsouth.net>, relay=ff-ip4-mx-vip2.prodigy.net[144.160.159.22]:25, delay=0.32, delays=0.01/0/0.26/0.06, dsn=5.3.0, status=bounced (host ff-ip4-mx-vip2.prodigy.net[144.160.159.22] said: 553 5.3.0 flph822 DNSBL:RBL 521< 67.225.154.50 >_is_blocked.For assistance forward this email to abuse_rbl@abuse-att.net (in reply to MAIL FROM command))
Mar 30 15:55:25 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: D97A1C0816: message-id=<20180330225525.D97A1C0816@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:55:25 solarireport postfix/bounce[17682]: 7CA3DC07C7: sender non-delivery notification: D97A1C0816
Mar 30 15:55:25 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: D97A1C0816: from=<>, size=2447, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:55:25 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 7CA3DC07C7: removed
Mar 30 15:55:25 solarireport postfix/local[17683]: D97A1C0816: to=<solarireport.com>, relay=local, delay=0.01, delays=0/0/0/0, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (delivered to mailbox)
Mar 30 15:55:25 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: D97A1C0816: removed
Mar 30 15:56:04 solarireport postfix/pickup[12421]: 20D3DC07C7: uid=0 from=<root>
Mar 30 15:56:04 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: 20D3DC07C7: message-id=<20180330225604.20D3DC07C7@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:56:04 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 20D3DC07C7: from=<solarireport.com>, size=322, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:56:04 solarireport postfix/smtp[17681]: 20D3DC07C7: to=<stupid@prodigy.net>, relay=ff-ip4-mx-vip1.prodigy.net[144.160.159.21]:25, delay=0.38, delays=0.01/0/0.31/0.05, dsn=5.3.0, status=bounced (host ff-ip4-mx-vip1.prodigy.net[144.160.159.21] said: 553 5.3.0 flpd595 DNSBL:RBL 521< 67.225.154.50 >_is_blocked.For assistance forward this email to abuse_rbl@abuse-att.net (in reply to MAIL FROM command))
Mar 30 15:56:04 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: 8A5E9C0816: message-id=<20180330225604.8A5E9C0816@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:56:04 solarireport postfix/bounce[17682]: 20D3DC07C7: sender non-delivery notification: 8A5E9C0816
Mar 30 15:56:04 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 8A5E9C0816: from=<>, size=2439, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:56:04 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 20D3DC07C7: removed
Mar 30 15:56:04 solarireport postfix/local[17683]: 8A5E9C0816: to=<solarireport.com>, relay=local, delay=0.01, delays=0/0/0/0, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (delivered to mailbox)
Mar 30 15:56:04 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 8A5E9C0816: removed
Mar 30 15:56:37 solarireport postfix/pickup[12421]: 09786C07C7: uid=0 from=<root>
Mar 30 15:56:37 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: 09786C07C7: message-id=<20180330225637.09786C07C7@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:56:37 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 09786C07C7: from=solarireport.com>, size=319, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:56:43 solarireport postfix/smtp[17681]: 09786C07C7: to=<stupid@snet.net>, relay=al-ip4-mx-vip2.prodigy.net[144.160.235.144]:25, delay=6.4, delays=0.01/0/6.4/0.03, dsn=5.3.0, status=bounced (host al-ip4-mx-vip2.prodigy.net[144.160.235.144] said: 553 5.3.0 alph147 DNSBL:RBL 521< 67.225.154.50 >_is_blocked.For assistance forward this email to abuse_rbl@abuse-att.net (in reply to MAIL FROM command))
Mar 30 15:56:43 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: 6ED7FC0816: message-id=<20180330225643.6ED7FC0816@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:56:43 solarireport postfix/bounce[17682]: 09786C07C7: sender non-delivery notification: 6ED7FC0816
Mar 30 15:56:43 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 6ED7FC0816: from=<>, size=2428, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:56:43 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 09786C07C7: removed
Mar 30 15:56:43 solarireport postfix/local[17683]: 6ED7FC0816: to=<solarireport.com>, relay=local, delay=0.01, delays=0/0/0/0, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (delivered to mailbox)
Mar 30 15:56:43 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 6ED7FC0816: removed
Mar 30 15:57:08 solarireport postfix/pickup[12421]: E3B67C07C7: uid=0 from=<root>
Mar 30 15:57:08 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: E3B67C07C7: message-id=<20180330225708.E3B67C07C7@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:57:08 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: E3B67C07C7: from=<solarireport.com>, size=320, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:57:09 solarireport postfix/smtp[17681]: E3B67C07C7: to=<stupid@glash.net>, relay=mx-ef.myregisteredsite.com[209.17.115.17]:25, delay=0.66, delays=0.01/0/0.55/0.11, dsn=5.0.0, status=bounced (host mx-ef.myregisteredsite.com[209.17.115.17] said: 550 5.0.0 <stupid@glash.net>… User unknown (in reply to RCPT TO command))
Mar 30 15:57:09 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: 985E6C0816: message-id=<20180330225709.985E6C0816@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:57:09 solarireport postfix/bounce[17682]: E3B67C07C7: sender non-delivery notification: 985E6C0816
Mar 30 15:57:09 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 985E6C0816: from=<>, size=2261, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:57:09 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: E3B67C07C7: removed
Mar 30 15:57:09 solarireport postfix/local[17683]: 985E6C0816: to=<solarireport.com>, relay=local, delay=0.01, delays=0/0/0/0, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (delivered to mailbox)
Mar 30 15:57:09 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 985E6C0816: removed
Mar 30 15:58:09 solarireport postfix/pickup[12421]: 0CEFDC07C7: uid=0 from=<root>
Mar 30 15:58:09 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: 0CEFDC07C7: message-id=<20180330225809.0CEFDC07C7@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:58:09 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 0CEFDC07C7: from=<solarireport.com>, size=320, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:58:09 solarireport postfix/smtp[17681]: 0CEFDC07C7: to=<stupid@att.net>, relay=ff-ip4-mx-vip2.prodigy.net[144.160.159.22]:25, delay=0.33, delays=0.01/0/0.27/0.06, dsn=5.3.0, status=bounced (host ff-ip4-mx-vip2.prodigy.net[144.160.159.22] said: 553 5.3.0 flpd573 DNSBL:RBL 521< 67.225.154.50 >_is_blocked.For assistance forward this email to abuse_rbl@abuse-att.net (in reply to MAIL FROM command))
Mar 30 15:58:09 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17679]: 6BD74C0816: message-id=<20180330225809.6BD74C0816@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 15:58:09 solarireport postfix/bounce[17682]: 0CEFDC07C7: sender non-delivery notification: 6BD74C0816
Mar 30 15:58:09 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 6BD74C0816: from=<>, size=2425, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 15:58:09 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 0CEFDC07C7: removed
Mar 30 15:58:09 solarireport postfix/local[17683]: 6BD74C0816: to=<solarireport.com>, relay=local, delay=0.01, delays=0/0/0/0, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (delivered to mailbox)
Mar 30 15:58:09 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 6BD74C0816: removed
Mar 30 16:00:16 solarireport postfix/pickup[12421]: 0CBEDC07C7: uid=1006 from=<back-up>
Mar 30 16:00:16 solarireport postfix/cleanup[17994]: 0CBEDC07C7: message-id=<20180330230016.0CBEDC07C7@solarireport.com>
Mar 30 16:00:16 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 0CBEDC07C7: from=<back-up@solarireport.com>, size=2145, nrcpt=1 (queue active)
Mar 30 16:00:16 solarireport postfix/local[17996]: 0CBEDC07C7: to=<back-up@solarireport.com>, orig_to=<back-up>, relay=local, delay=0.02, delays=0.01/0/0/0, dsn=2.0.0, status=sent (delivered to mailbox)
Mar 30 16:00:16 solarireport postfix/qmgr[7744]: 0CBEDC07C7: removed

FROM SOLARI CUSTOMERSERVICE: 3/31/18 Proof AT&T is  Blocking E-mails

FYI,

Here is proof ATT is blocking emails to subs.

APPENDIX B: Overview/Background on AT&T

Here are portions of the Wikipedia description of AT&T.

AT&T is the world’s largest telecommunications company. AT&T is also the second largest provider of mobile telephone services and the largest provider of fixed telephone services in the United States.

AT&T Inc. began its history as Southwestern Bell Telephone Company, which was a subsidiary of the Bell Telephone Company founded by Alexander Graham Bell in 1880. Bell Telephone Company evolved into American Telephone and Telegraph Company in 1885 which had since rebranded to AT&T Corporation. Following the 1982 United States v. AT&T antitrust lawsuit, this resulted in the divestiture of AT&T Corp.’s (“Ma Bell”) subsidiaries or Regional Bell Operating Companies (“Baby Bells”), resulting in several independent companies including Southwestern Bell Corporation. Southwestern Bell changed its name to SBC Communications Inc. in 1995. In 2005, SBC purchased former parent AT&T Corporation and took on its branding, with the merged entity naming itself AT&T Inc. and using the iconic AT&T logo and stock-trading symbol. In 2006, AT&T Inc. acquired BellSouth, the last independent Baby Bell, making their formerly joint venture Cingular Wireless (which had acquired AT&T Wireless in 2004) wholly owned and rebranding it to AT&T Mobility.

The current AT&T Inc. reconstitutes much of the former Bell System and includes ten of the original 22 Bell Operating Companies, along with the original long distance division. Of the twenty-four companies that were part of the Bell System, ten are a part of the current AT&T:

• BellSouth Telecommunications
• Illinois Bell
• Indiana Bell
• Michigan Bell
• Ohio Bell
• Pacific Bell
• Nevada Bell
• Southwestern Bell
• Wisconsin Bell

The financial performance of the company is reported to shareholders on an annual basis and a matter of public record. The unit (except where noted) is billions of US dollars. Where performance has been restated, the most recent statement of performance from an annual report is used.

Criticism and controversies

Hemisphere database

The company maintains a database of call detail records of all telephone calls that have passed through its network since 1987. AT&T employees work at High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area offices (operated by the Office of National Drug Control Policy) in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Houston so data can be quickly turned over to law enforcement agencies. Records are requested via administrative subpoena, without the involvement of a court or grand jury.

Censorship

In September 2007, AT&T changed its legal policy to state that “AT&T may immediately terminate or suspend all or a portion of your Service,^[79] any Member ID, electronic mail address, IP address, Universal Resource Locator or domain name used by you, without notice for conduct that AT&T believes … (c) tends to damage the name or reputation of AT&T, or its parents, affiliates and subsidiaries.”^[80] By October 10, 2007, AT&T had altered the terms and conditions for its Internet service to explicitly support freedom of expression by its subscribers, after an outcry claiming the company had given itself the right to censor its subscribers’ transmissions.^[81] Section 5.1 of AT&T’s new terms of service now reads “AT&T respects freedom of expression and believes it is a foundation of our free society to express differing points of view. AT&T will not terminate, disconnect or suspend service because of the views you or we express on public policy matters, political issues or political campaigns.”^[82]

Privacy controversy

In 2006, the Electronic Frontier Foundation lodged a class action lawsuit, Hepting v. AT&T, which alleged that AT&T had allowed agents of the National Security Agency (NSA) to monitor phone and Internet communications of AT&T customers without warrants. If true, this would violate the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 and the First and Fourth Amendments of the U.S. Constitution. AT&T has yet to confirm or deny that monitoring by the NSA is occurring. In April 2006, a retired former AT&T technician, Mark Klein, lodged an affidavit supporting this allegation.^[84][85] The Department of Justice has stated it will intervene in this lawsuit by means of State Secrets Privilege.^[86]

In July 2006, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California – in which the suit was filed – rejected a federal government motion to dismiss the case. The motion to dismiss, which invoked the State Secrets Privilege, had argued that any court review of the alleged partnership between the federal government and AT&T would harm national security. The case was immediately appealed to the Ninth Circuit. It was dismissed on June 3, 2009, citing retroactive legislation in the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.^{[citation needed] [87]}

In May 2006, USA Today reported that all international and domestic calling records had been handed over to the National Security Agency by AT&T, Verizon, SBC, and BellSouth for the purpose of creating a massive calling database.^[88] The portions of the new AT&T that had been part of SBC Communications before November 18, 2005, were not mentioned.

On June 21, 2006, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that AT&T had rewritten rules on its privacy policy. The policy, which took effect June 23, 2006, says that “AT&T – not customers – owns customers’ confidential info and can use it ‘to protect its legitimate business interests, safeguard others, or respond to legal process.’”^[89]

On August 22, 2007, National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell confirmed that AT&T was one of the telecommunications companies that assisted with the government’s warrantless wire-tapping program on calls between foreign and domestic sources.^[90]

On November 8, 2007, Mark Klein, a former AT&T technician, told Keith Olbermann of MSNBC that all Internet traffic passing over AT&T lines was copied into a locked room at the company’s San Francisco office – to which only employees with National Security Agency clearance had access.^[91]

AT&T keeps for five to seven years a record of who text messages whom and the date and time, but not the content of the messages.

Intellectual property filtering

In January 2008, the company reported plans to begin filtering all Internet traffic which passes through its network for intellectual property violations. Commentators in the media have speculated that if this plan is implemented, it would lead to a mass exodus of subscribers leaving AT&T, although this is misleading as Internet traffic may go through the company’s network anyway. Internet freedom proponents used these developments as justification for government-mandated network neutrality.

Discrimination against local Public-access television channels

AT&T is accused by community media groups of discriminating against local Public, educational, and government access (PEG) cable TV channels, by “impictions that will severely restrict the audience”.^[95]

According to Barbara Popovic, Executive Director of the Chicago public-access service CAN-TV, the new AT&T U-verse system forces all Public-access television into a special menu system, denying normal functionality such as channel numbers, access to the standard program guide, and DVR recording.^[95] The Ratepayer Advocates division of the California Public Utilities Commission reported: “Instead of putting the stations on individual channels, AT&T has bundled community stations into a generic channel that can only be navigated through a complex and lengthy process.”^[95]

Sue Buske (president of telecommunications consulting firm the Buske Group and a former head of the National Federation of Local Cable Programmers/Alliance for Community Media) argue that this is “an overall attack […] on public access across the [United States], the place in the dial around cities and communities where people can make their own media in their own communities”.^[95]

Political Involvement

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, AT&T is the second-largest donor to United States political campaigns, and the top American corporate donor, having contributed more than US$47.7 million since 1990, 56% of which went to Republicans and 44% of which went to Democrats. As an example, in 2005, AT&T was among 53 entities that contributed the maximum of $250,000 to the second inauguration of President George W. Bush. Bill Leahy, representing AT&T, sits on the Private Enterprise Board of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC).ALEC is a nonprofit organization of conservative state legislators and private sector representatives that drafts and shares model state-level legislation for distribution among state governments in the United States.

During the period of 1998 to 2010, the company expended US$130 million on lobbying in the United States. A key political issue for AT&T has been the question of which businesses win the right to profit by providing broadband internet access in the United States. The company has also lobbied in support of several federal bills. AT&T supported the Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2013 (H.R. 3675; 113th Congress), a bill that would make a number of changes to procedures that the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) follows in its rulemaking processes. The FCC would have to act in a more transparent way as a result of this bill, forced to accept public input about regulations. AT&T’s Executive Vice President of Federal Relations, Tim McKone, said that the bill’s “much needed institutional reforms will help arm the agency with the tools to keep pace with the Internet speed of today’s marketplace. It will also ensure that outmoded regulatory practices for today’s competitive marketplace are properly placed in the dustbin of history.”

[End of Wikipedia Description]

AT&T outstanding common equity has a stock market capitalization as of April 3, 2018 of $228 billion. It is the 15th largest US company when ranked by market capitalization. Its stock price has  underperformed the general market in recent years. (T=AT&T, VGT= Vanguard Information Technology ETF, GSPC=S&P, AAPL = Apple, VOX = Vanguard Telecommunications Services ETF)

ATT’s board of directors and largest investors are listed in its latest proxy statement filed with the SEC in March 2018. As of December 31, 2017, two investors held more than 5% of AT&T’s outstanding common stock:  Blackrock Inc with 6.1% of outstanding shares and the Vanguard Group with 7.15% outstanding shares.  Based on AT&T’s size and current dividend yield (over 5%), I assume that the holdings of AT&T shares by US pension funds is significant.  As I describe in my recent overview of The State of Our Pension Funds, it is our savings that is financing much of what is happening in the United States.

Washington Technology lists AT&T as the 14th largest US government contractor in 2016 with $1.9 billion of revenues ($767.9 million from defense; and $1.15 billion from civilian agencies). The most important projects/contracts listed were Networx, FSSI Wireless BPA, EAGLE, CTS, Connections II, TacCom, Seaport-e

The Electronic Freedom Foundation has provided extensive coverage of AT&T’s efforts to help the NSA engage in domestic spying and surveillance. See: “NSA Spying.”

Appendix C: Material Disclosures 

In November 2017,  Solari published “Bill Binney & Litigation to Hold the NSA Accountable.”  

From Wikipedia, the NSA “is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence. The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collection, and processing of information and data for foreign intelligence and counterintelligence purposes, specializing in a discipline known as signals intelligence (SIGINT). The NSA is also tasked with the protection of U.S. communications networks and information systems. The NSA relies on a variety of measures to accomplish its mission, the majority of which are clandestine.”

The article includes a description of the Electronic Freedom Foundation’s lawsuit regarding the targeting of AT&T customers by the NSA:

Jewel was initially brought nearly a decade ago on September 18, 2008. While it is still ongoing, it is one of the few cases related to constitutional violations based on NSA surveillance to successfully withstood challenges of standing and reached discovery. This has involved a number of rulings which dealt with and helped explain how state secret privilege is handled in regards to standing. This class action lawsuit was supported and filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundationⁱⁱⁱ on behalf of Carolyn Jewel as well as other similarly situated AT&T customers targeted by the NSA in what the lawsuit alleges to be a dragnet surveillance program in violation of the plaintiff’s First and Fourth Amendment rights, as well as the Wiretap Act, the Stored Communications Act, and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). ⁱ

Catherine Austin Fitts as President of Hamilton Securities hired AT&T to (i) provide integrated telephony and computer systems and, (ii) to provide optimization technology through AT&T Bell Labs for application to mortgage loan sales. Hamilton also exchanged strategic planning services with the strategic planning group located in the AT&T Chairman’s office. Given what Catherine learned dealing with A&T with respect to 10 years of litigation regarding AT&T’ Bell Labs performance on the mortgage loan sales, she came to seriously regret her decision to hire AT&T or to permit AT&T access to Hamilton’s phones and computers.

Catherine Austin Fitts as a telecommunications customer had an historical problem with AT&T attempting to block her Bell South long distance over disagreements regarding AT&T billing that Catherine believed to be fraudulent. Thanks to the courageous intervention of Bell South, AT&T was unsuccessful in their claims.  AT&T subsequently acquired Bell South.

Related Links

• Net Neutrality: Why Congressman Marsha Blackburn Will Lose the Tennessee Senate Race

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• The Wiretap Rooms: The NSA’s Hidden Spy Hubs in Eight U.S. Cities