EFF proves T-Mobile is throttling YouTube

Binge On has been the target of a lot of criticism lately, most notably from YouTube, which said that T-Mobile was “throttling all video services” on its network. Now, testing by the EFF has punched massive holes in T-Mobile’s claims.

Binge On is offered to all new T-Mobile customers in the U.S. – giving them the chance to watch more video without exceeding their data allowances. It works with services including Netflix, HBO, Hulu, Sling TV, Watch ESPN, Vevo, and all kinds of others.

In response to the EFF’s report, T-Mobile confirmed that it does not optimize the video streams beyond reducing the bandwidth. Instead, from a series of tests carried out by the Foundation, it appears to simply throttle video streams to around 1.5Mps.

T-Mobile has already said that it uses video optimization technology that compresses content for streaming over the network, which the company claims helps customers “stretch their high-speed data while streaming video”. The tests included streaming an HTML5 video using the web browser, downloading a video, downloading a video file without a video extension, and downloading a file that was not a video. Alternatively they also note that Binge On should be an opt-in process, as opposed to opt-out as some customers might not be familiar with it. Lastly they even suggest that if T-Mobile does not do something about it, the FCC should investigate it. T-Mobile could also stand to make it more clear how to disable Binge On.

T-Mobile did not respond to our request for comment and clarification, but according to the EFF, the company did confirm the organization’s findings.

It said T-Mobile was breaking U.S. net neutrality rules, which forbid the prioritising or de-prioritising of certain types of internet traffic. T-Mobile has argued that Binge On and its audio streaming service Music Freedom don’t violate network neutrality, because the services don’t charge partners to participate in the programs, and any legal service can join. T-Mobile is just slowing the throughput to 1.5Mbps, and if the server doesn’t have a way of adapting and lowering the quality of the video, the user will see stuttering. What the EFF found, however, is that T-Mobile doesn’t actually perform any sort of optimization at all.

“We asked T-Mobile if this means they are looking deeper than TCP and HTTP headers, and identifying video streams by inspecting the content of their customers’ communications, and they told us that they have solutions to detect video-specific protocols/patterns that do not involve the examination of actual content”, Gillula wrote. “Using the term “throttle” is misleading”, a T-Mobile spokesperson told DSL Reports in an email. Rather than being enabled by default, Binge On should be an opt-in choice for consumers.