Well, here’s another reason AT&T is so desperate for retroactive immunity. It’d suck to have their bid to acquire a satellite TV company derailed as consumers realized AT&T is using that technology to spy on them, huh?
AT&T has been consulting lawyers in Washington about how long it would take to get government approval to purchase either EchoStar Communications Corp. or DirecTV GroupInc., people familiar with the matter said. If it does make a bid forone of the satellite providers, AT&T could unveil the offer beforeyear’s end in hopes of getting federal antitrust officials to approvethe combination before a new administration takes over, these peoplesay. [my emphasis]
Yeah, I’m sure AT&T would like to get such a move approved before the end of the year. You know, while they still had their former lawyer in charge of DOJ and still had one of their big lobbyists running the oval office?