Lumen Technologies, formerly known as CenturyLink, has agreed to pay $275,000 to resolve a Civil Contempt Claim by the Department of Justice for its acquisition of Level 3 Communications Inc in 2016. The Justice Department accused Lumen (formerly CenturyLink) of violating the terms designed to preserve competition after an acquisition by trying to contact former customers it had divested.
The Acting Assistant Attorney General Richard Powers of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division said Lumen Technologies (CenturyLink) is a repeat offender. He added that the Company violated its obligations shortly after the court imposed them. He also noted that the Antitrust Division will always take action when companies do not comply with obligations ordered by the court.
Besides, in August 2020, Lumen paid $250,000 to the Department of Justice after it attempted to contact some of its previous Level 3 customers, after being instructed not to do so. For the new Civil Contempt Claim, the Company violated its obligations by sending over 100 marketing emails to its former customers that have switched their business away from Lumen.
