Today, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approved a measure during its December Open Meeting that gives an early holiday gift to American consumers:protection from a predictable tidal wave of annoying robotexts.

The action, known as a “Declaratory Ruling”, will defeat a 2015 petition by mass-texting services provider Twilio that asked the Commission to define texting as a “telecommunications service” under Title II of the 1930s Communications Act. Instead, the action defined text messaging services as an “information service” under Title I and grants providers flexibility to continue ensuring consumers avoid floods of spammy text messages that have already led to the demise of phone calls and emails.

Like a swarm of locusts, spam devours and weakens the enjoyment of many communications services we rely on to work and communicate. It happened with unwanted messages conquering our emails – some 53 percent of emails today are spam. In addition, consumers are now bombarded with robocalls that feel down right harassing and led to an astonishing 495 percent increase between 2016 and 2018 in apps that promise to block unwanted calls.

We know the direction spam is headed, and it’s only natural it would set its sights on what has become the Holy Grail of communication: texting. Americans in 2017 sent nearly 2 trillion text messages, which translates into roughly 15 messages daily for individuals. What’s more, 18-24 year olds exchange an average of 109.5 texts per day, which is more than double the figures of 25-34 year olds and 23 times the figure for users 65 and older according to Pew Research.

Of course, this is Washington, so there is always going to be someone trying to stir the pot. On this issue, groups like Public Knowledge (surprise level: none) and The Washington Post editorial board argue that classifying text messages as “telecommunications services” under Title II –code for over regulation that would limit providers’ ability to come up with innovative ways to stave off a robotexting tidal wave – is essential to protecting consumers.

It’s an interesting theory when one considers that the original cheerleaders for this Title II texting agenda are companies like Twilio who have amassed a considerable sum of revenue from mass-texting services and could generate even more if given regulatory approval to flood us with robotexts.

The FCC’s move today is a much-welcomed one to protect Americans from the tidal wave of spam that continues barreling towards us from different directions.