Comcast, already less than loved, once again has some explaining to do.

For years, the company has made sure policy makers and journalists know that it doesn’t apply “data caps.” Despite that, in some cities, Comcast imposes data limits on customers and, if they surpass that amount, issues them fines.

This is what is generally known as a data cap virtually everywhere else, but Comcast has even submitted an article correction emphasizing that while it may have “data thresholds” or “flexible data consumption plans,” it is allergic to calling them data caps.

Why does it matter what Comcast calls its scheme? Aside from being infuriating, it’s also deceptive. By not calling its own practices by the name they are commonly known as, it could slow down or deter regulatory investigations.

This week, Comcast submitted a filing on its proposed Time Warner acquisition to New York Public Services Commission, indicating that “Comcast does not have ‘data caps’ today” and that even if it did, the federal government ought to be the governing body to investigate it, not New York, so the PSC shouldn’t even bother examining the claim.

It’s just the latest in a series of fishy moves by Comcast. Ars Technica has the whole story.

Lead image by Steven Depolo