NEW YORK (AP) — AT&T has a surprise for tech firms and internet activists supporting net neutrality, the principle that bars internet service providers from playing favorites with websites and apps.

Although AT&T has fiercely fought the Federal Communications Commission's net-neutrality rules, it's backing Wednesday's "day of action" denouncing AT&T and other ISPs.

Of course, AT&T doesn't actually agree with the aim of the protest — to support the 2015 regulation that the FCC wants to overturn now that Republicans are in charge.

AT&T says it supports an "open internet" and believes companies s...