AT&T filed a lawsuit in a US federal court to stop T-Mobile US’ AI-based switching tool from scraping its customer data as part of a plan to gain new subscribers.

On 20 November, T-Mobile rolled out a beta version of its Easy Switch programme at Formula 1’s Las Vegas Grand Prix race. It enables customers from rivals AT&T and Verizon to change plans in 15 minutes instead of hours using its digital T-Life app.

Easy Switch is an AI tool which analyses current AT&T or Verizon accounts before recommending optimal T-Mobile plans. It went live on 1 December.

After sending T-Mobile an initial complaint on 26 November, AT&T filed its lawsuit in a US district in Texas on 30 November.

It alleges the T-Life app is scraping AT&T customer data by collecting “more than 100 categories of private information” from each subscriber before recommending lower-priced T-Mobile plans.

AT&T asked the judge to issue a temporary restraining order blocking T-Mobile from using its “Switch Made Easy” (SME) price-comparison tool to access password-protected software on AT&T’s systems without permission.

“AT&T has already told T-Mobile to stop,” it stated in the 30 November filing. “T-Mobile refused and instead actively circumvented security measures that AT&T put in place to block T-Mobile’s unauthorised intrusions.”

The operator also stated in its most recent filing T-Mobile’s “scraper also operates without identification so as to appear as AT&T’s own customers, in a blatant attempt to deceive AT&T’s systems,” which it claimed is without authorisation and in violation of its terms of use.

Before filing its lawsuit, AT&T sent a cease-and-desist letter to T-Mobile on 24 November, and on the same day implemented computer security measures to block T-Mobile’s scraping.

It also contacted Apple the same day about the T-Life app violating app store terms. T-Mobile stated four days later that it does not run counter to the iPhone-maker’s app store guidelines,

On 25 November, AT&T claimed T-Mobile altered its SME scraping tool to disguise it from detection. AT&T alleges T-Mobile again modified its tool to evade detection a day later.

After AT&T again blocked SME’s access on 26 November, T-Mobile removed its scraping function, but AT&T noted the tool still appears to be collecting Verizon customer data.

A representative from AT&T told Mobile World Live (MWL) it took action “to prevent T-Mobile from putting customers at risk through its irresponsible implementation of bots and AI to unlawfully harvest private customer data and competitors’ intellectual property”.

“ Our customers trust AT&T with their personal information, and we will continue to protect them from T-Mobile’s reckless business practices by giving them, not an unknown bot, control of their personal data.”

T-Mobile responds
A representative for T-Mobile told MWL “AT&T’s claims are wrong on the facts and the law”.

“Easy Switch simply and safely empowers consumers to seamlessly access and share their own information so that they can make an informed choice about their wireless provider and plan.  We remain committed to transparency, simplicity and ensuring consumers have the freedom to choose, and we will continue to vigorously oppose AT&T’s efforts to hamper consumer choice.”

The judge granted T-Mobile’s request to file its opposition to AT&T’s lawsuit by 8 December followed by an in-person hearing 16 December.

Verizon did not respond to MWL’s request for comment on T-Mobile’s SME tool.