Our Action

As stated in the  AT&T Human Rights Policy, we’re committed to working with industry partners and stakeholders to help safeguard children from online predators. 

In 2020, we established the AT&T Online Safety Committee – led by senior leaders in our Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) organization – to provide oversight and guidance on the digital safety issues impacting our business, our customers and society. The committee meets regularly and is composed of subject matter experts and representatives from relevant business units, including Legal, Compliance, Global Public Policy, Mobility, and Marketing. In its first year, the Online Safety Committee launched an initiative to analyze companywide digital safety efforts and complete the UNICEF Mobile Operator Child Rights Self-Impact Assessment Tool. For more information on this work, please see our Responsible Use of Products and Services  issue brief. 

The AT&T Human Rights Committee is led by leaders in our CSR organization and is composed of executives from across the business, including representatives from our Global Connections and Supply Chain and Human Resources organizations. It is responsible for implementing the AT&T Human Rights Policy throughout our operations and conducting related due diligence – including regularly mapping potential risks. Please see our Human Rights issue brief for more information on our work to address all human rights issues. 

Our Senior Vice President for CSR, who is also our Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO), is responsible for overseeing the AT&T Human Rights Policy, as well as our work to promote digital safety and well-being. The CSO reports several times a year to the Governance and Policy Committee of the AT&T Board of Directors. Our CSO also regularly convenes the CSR Governance Council, comprising senior executives and officers from across the company who are responsible for the business areas most linked to AT&T’s most important environment, social and governance (ESG) issues.

Privacy

AT&T supports and complies with COPPA, as well as other laws governing collection and handling of children’s data. 

On most websites, we do not knowingly collect personally identifying information from anyone under the age of 13. As defined by COPPA law, personally identifying information may include name, home address, telephone number, username and more. When we do collect a child’s personally identifying information, we do so in accordance with a legally permitted purpose or exception, or after first obtaining permission from the child’s parent or legal guardian. 

Unless we have consent from a parent or legal guardian, we will not knowingly contact a child under the age of 13 for targeted marketing purposes. For more details on how we address children’s privacy, see our AT&T privacy policy.

Failure of an AT&T employee to comply with the company’s policies and guidelines governing data use and collection may result in discipline, up to and including termination. 

Please see our Privacy issue brief for information on privacy protection efforts and policies across all our operating companies. Consumers may email  privacypolicy@att.com, call 1-800-495-1547 or write to AT&T Privacy Policy, Chief Privacy Office, 208 S. Akard, Room 2100, Dallas, TX 75202 with any questions or concerns about our privacy policy as it relates to children. 

Internal Risk Assessments

In 2020, AT&T completed a human rights impact assessment across our portfolio of products and services to better understand risks related to potential online child exploitation and child sexual abuse material. The risk assessment used the UNICEF Mobile Operator Child Rights Self-Impact Assessment Tool, as well as industry best practices. Findings were reported to AT&T’s Human Rights Committee and Online Safety Committee, which has governance over action items resulting from the assessment. 

Empowering Consumers

By creating resources for parents, caregivers and children, and by working with expert non-profit organizations, we aim to raise awareness about safe navigation of online technology. For more information on our digital safety and well-being efforts, please see our 2022 ESG Summary and Responsible Use of Products and Services  issue brief.

Report Child Sexual Abuse Material

If you witness content you believe to be child sexual abuse material, or if you observe any illegal activity involving children while using any AT&T service, please report it as soon as possible by emailing safeguarding-children@att.com.

You also can make a report directly to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by visiting http://www.cybertipline.org or by calling 1-800-843-5678. 

Engaging Stakeholders

We are committed to working with governments, industry, customers and civil society to promote human rights around the world in areas associated with our operations. We also believe these issues merit a societywide conversation, so we regularly engage with stakeholders to explain our point of view, share best practices and learn from our peers. 

We engage with groups such as:

• WePROTECT Global Alliance: AT&T is a member of the WePROTECT Global Alliance, an international movement dedicated to ending child sexual exploitation and abuse online to make the digital world safer for children. 
  
• United Nations Global Compact (UNGC): AT&T was the first U.S.-based telecommunications service provider to become a signatory of the UNGC and commit to its voluntary framework of principles related to human rights and environmental sustainability. We publish an annual Communication on Progress detailing our managerial approach to UNGC focus areas. 
  
• Freedom Online Coalition: AT&T participates in the Advisory Network of the Freedom Online Coalition, a group of governments that have committed to working together to support internet freedom and protect fundamental human rights – free expression, free association, free assembly and privacy online – worldwide. The Advisory Network provides input to the Freedom Online Coalition’s Program of Action and joint statements on internet freedom issues. 
  
• BSR Human Rights Working Group (HRWG): AT&T is a member of BSR’s HRWG, which was created to develop a safe space for a cross-sector group of companies to openly share best practices, challenges, questions and experiences around implementing the U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
• Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI): Since 2012, AT&T has participated in GeSI's Human Rights Working Group to pursue a practical means of implementing the U.N. Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights across the information and communications technology (ICT) sector, which includes internet providers, telecoms and manufacturers. The working group also coordinates GeSI’s involvement in the European Commission’s project to develop human rights guidance for the ICT sector. 
  
• National Center for Missing and Exploited Children: AT&T is committed to cooperating with local, state and federal law enforcement in their efforts to protect children online and to pursue child predators and those engaged with online child sexual abuse material. 
  
  

More Social Briefs

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