katie didn’t just emailed me. Apparently the NYT is reporting today that Verizon is blocking text messages that it deems “controversial or unsavory.”

New media and censorship. Here we go again:

“No company should be allowed to censor the message we want to send to people who have asked us to send it to them,” Ms. Keenan said. “Regardless of people’s political views, Verizon customers should decide what action to take on their phones. Why does Verizon get to make that choice for them?”

Is text messaging an open space? What rights do we have to insist on outside of a Verizon/customer relationship? Text messaging is not subject to the same content allowances as voice communication, and I should point out that pornography has had problems gaining access to text messaging as well.

Verizon, one of the nation’s two largest wireless carriers, told Naral that it does not accept programs from any group “that seeks to promote an agenda or distribute content that, in its discretion, may be seen as controversial or unsavory to any of our users.”

Either way, it looks like it is time for some broader communications governance.

If you are inclined, sign the petition.

UPDATE: Apparently the petition worked! Verizon has agreed to let the text messages flow.

“This incident, more than ever, shows the need for an open, nondiscriminatory, neutral Internet and telecommunications system that Americans once enjoyed and took for granted,” said Gigi B. Sohn, the president of Public Knowledge, a consumer advocacy group.

“I’m a supporter of abortion rights, but I could be a Christian-right person and still be in favor of free speech,” Mr. Hoag said. “If they think they can censor what’s on my phone, they’ve got another thing coming.”

That is one way to think about it change of heart. On the other hand, at 10 cents a pop, who would say no?