On Tuesday, the Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit alleging that T-Mobile made hundreds of millions of dollars from 2009 to December 2013 by charging customers for shady text message subscriptions.
The third-party merchants peddled subscriptions for celebrity gossip updates, horoscopes, and flirting tips, the FTC said, and many customers did not authorize the charges, which were allegedly obscured on monthly bills. About 40 percent of the customers affected tried to get their money back, which was an "obvious sign to T-Mobile that the charges were never authorized."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Today's political cartoons - November 12, 2024Cartoons Tuesday's cartoons - judgemental looks, Europe's bumpy ride, and more
-
Will Gary Lineker's departure be an own goal for the BBC?Today's Big Question Former star striker turned highest-paid presenter will leave Match of the Day after 25 years, with BBC head of sport reportedly declining to offer him a contract
-
The potential impact of Trump tariffs for the UKThe Explainer UK goods exports to the US could be hit with tariffs of up to 20% seriously affecting the British economy
-
ATF finalizes rule to close 'gun show loophole'Speed Read Biden moves to expand background checks for gun buyers
-
Hong Kong passes tough new security lawSpeed Read It will allow the government to further suppress all forms of dissent
-
France enshrines abortion rights in constitutionspeed read It became the first country to make abortion a constitutional right
-
Texas executes man despite contested evidenceSpeed Read Texas rejected calls for a rehearing of Ivan Cantu's case amid recanted testimony and allegations of suppressed exculpatory evidence
-
Supreme Court wary of state social media regulationsSpeed Read A majority of justices appeared skeptical that Texas and Florida were lawfully protecting the free speech rights of users
-
Greece legalizes same-sex marriageSpeed Read Greece becomes the first Orthodox Christian country to enshrine marriage equality in law
-
Trump and his lawyer Alina Habba have a rough day in defamation courtSpeed Read Trump's audible grousing as E. Jean Carroll testified earned him a warning he could be thrown out of court, and Habba showed she 'doesn't know what the hell she's doing'
-
Anders Breivik to testify in prison isolation lawsuit against NorwaySpeed Read Far-right fanatic who killed 77 people in 2011 claims he has received 'inhuman treatment' in custody
