By Bob Paterson Changing mobile carriers has traditionally required customers to find account numbers, transfer credentials and plan details. T-Mobile promoted Easy Switch as a way to simplify that process, but AT&T alleged that the technology went much further: automated access to information housed in AT&T’s password-protected systems. Their legal dispute tests where customer-authorized account switching ends and unauthorized computer access begins. A Texas federal judge temporarily restricted the original version of the feature in December 2025, while the companies continued litigating the underlying claims in 2026.
Why Did AT&T Sue T-Mobile?
AT&T Services, Inc. and AT&T Mobility LLC filed their federal lawsuit against T-Mobile US, Inc. on November 26, 2025, in the Northern District of Texas. The case is No. 3:25-cv-03279 before Judge Karen Gren Scholer. AT&T alleged that Easy Switch, presented through T-Mobile’s T-Life app, used automated access tools to retrieve account information from AT&T systems without AT&T’s consent.
AT&T invoked the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and related legal theories. Its concern was not simply that consumers might move to a competing wireless company. It asserted that T-Mobile had no legal right to deploy automation into protected AT&T infrastructure in the manner described.
What Was the December 2025 Ruling?
After a hearing, Judge Scholer issued a temporary restraining order dated December 18, 2025. It prohibited T-Mobile from using the original Easy Switch feature, or substantially similar technology, to access and obtain data from AT&T’s protected computer systems without court permission.
The language is important. The order did not prohibit people from switching carriers, bar T-Mobile from offering other onboarding tools or award AT&T damages. It addressed a specific form of access while the lawsuit proceeded. A temporary restraining order is not a final judgment establishing all disputed facts.
How Did the Claims Develop in 2026?
AT&T amended its complaint in February 2026, adding challenges to marketing claims associated with the switching service, including allegations relevant to the Lanham Act. T-Mobile answered the amended complaint in March. The parties exchanged discovery-related orders in April. According to the federal docket, a May 21 alternative-dispute-resolution session did not produce a settlement.
The docket also records a separate June 2026 proceeding in Washington, D.C., in which AT&T sought third-party discovery from HarrisX Telecom. Those proceedings were connected to evidence gathering and did not independently resolve whether Easy Switch violated federal law.
The Legal Question: Customer Consent Versus System Permission
A consumer can generally authorize a new provider to help move an account. That does not necessarily settle whether a third-party company may use automated means to log into a rival’s protected systems. The CFAA can apply to unauthorized access, but the application depends on the technology used, the permissions granted, and the particular systems and information involved.
AT&T may try to show that access methods exceeded valid authorization or bypassed technical restrictions. T-Mobile may argue that users voluntarily initiated transfers, that the feature served legitimate consumer interests and that access was authorized or otherwise lawful. The court would need evidence about the program’s design, authentication methods, account permissions and actual data transfers.
The advertising claims raise separate questions: whether particular savings statements or product descriptions were misleading to consumers or competitors, not merely whether the automated tool accessed data.
Lawsuit Status in October 2026
The confirmed court record includes the December 2025 restraining order, the February amended complaint, the March answer and 2026 discovery proceedings. It does not establish a final liability judgment or approved damages award in the underlying Texas lawsuit as of the reporting cutoff. Describing the injunction as AT&T winning the entire case would overstate the result.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Did the court ban T-Mobile Easy Switch altogether?
The verified order restricted the original version and similar features that accessed AT&T’s protected systems in the specified way. It did not ban every switching tool or prevent customers from porting numbers.
Q. Were customers accused of wrongdoing?
No. AT&T sued T-Mobile over the design and conduct of the switching tool. The dispute was not a criminal prosecution of customers who changed carriers.
Q. Did the carriers settle in May 2026?
The docket’s alternative-dispute-resolution report says the May meeting failed to produce a settlement. A later final settlement was not verified in the material reviewed.
Q. Does the case affect number portability rights?
The lawsuit does not eliminate consumers’ ability to transfer an eligible telephone number. It concerns the technology used to retrieve protected account information during the switching process.