A new FCC ruling could block the proposed text tax in California

SAN FRANCISCO -- A new FCC ruling may block a proposal to tax text messages in California. The way it classifies texts could kill the tax.

RELATED: California wants to tax your text messages

Wednesday night, the FCC classified text messaging services as "information services" rather than "telecommunications services."

According to our media partner The Mercury News, that's important because critics say the commission cannot impose the tax without federal officials classifying text messaging as a "telecommunications service."

The California Public Utilities Commission has proposed extending an existing tax to text messages to fund programs which help the poor.