Affiliate Data Sharing Authorization

What it is

AT&T can share your account information and how you use their services with other AT&T-owned companies to market additional products and services to you.

Why it matters (compliance & governance perspective)

Your service usage data, which can include browsing activity, device information, location patterns, and call records depending on the service, may be shared across AT&T's entire corporate family for marketing purposes unless you take steps to limit it.

Consumer impact (what this means for users)

This provision authorizes broad sharing of your personal account and usage data across AT&T's affiliated companies for marketing, which may include sensitive usage patterns from wireless, broadband, and television services without requiring explicit opt-in consent beyond accepting the terms.

What you can do

Institutional analysis (Compliance & governance intelligence)

REGULATORY LANDSCAPE: This provision implicates FCC Customer Proprietary Network Information (CPNI) rules, which restrict how telecommunications carriers may use and share customer call and network data, including with affiliates for marketing purposes without customer approval. It also engages the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), which grants California residents rights to know about data sharing, opt out of data sale or sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising, and request deletion. The FTC Act applies to deceptive data sharing practices. ECPA governs certain categories of communications data that may be encompassed in usage information. GOVERNANCE EXPOSURE: High. The scope of affiliate sharing across AT&T's corporate family, which includes DirecTV, WarnerMedia-era entities, and various technology subsidiaries depending on the period, is significant. CPNI rules impose specific opt-in or opt-out requirements depending on the category of information and the nature of the sharing, and violations have resulted in FCC enforcement actions against AT&T historically. JURISDICTION FLAGS: California residents have CCPA rights to opt out of sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising and to receive disclosure of categories of data shared with affiliates. Illinois, Virginia, Colorado, and other states with comprehensive privacy laws impose similar requirements. EU and UK users would be protected by GDPR and UK GDPR, which require a lawful basis such as consent or legitimate interest for such sharing, though the document appears to address US customers. CONTRACT AND VENDOR IMPLICATIONS: Business customers should assess what employee or customer data transits AT&T networks and whether that data could be subject to affiliate marketing use under these terms. Data processing agreements with AT&T should clarify the scope of affiliate sharing and whether business customer data is treated differently from consumer data. CPNI compliance representations from AT&T as a vendor should be verified. COMPLIANCE CONSIDERATIONS: California-resident customers should exercise CCPA opt-out rights for data sharing with affiliates for advertising purposes. All customers should review AT&T's privacy policy for the current list of affiliated companies and the categories of data shared. Legal teams advising business customers should confirm whether separate data processing agreements with AT&T override these consumer-facing affiliate sharing terms.

Applicable agencies

Applicable regulations

Provision details

Other risks in this policy

• Mandatory Individual Arbitration high
• Class Action Waiver high
• Unilateral Terms Modification medium
• Service Suspension and Termination medium
• Limitation of Liability medium
• Acceptable Use Policy medium

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