It’s not surprising that a cable company wouldn’t want to run an ad that criticizes it. But telecom giants choosing to censor ads they don’t like—as with a recent campaign ad that Charter refused to air—sets a disturbing precedent. It makes these companies as gatekeepers of election information, and in a post-net neutrality world could pave the way to giving Big Telecom a dystopian authority to dictate which political messages voters receive.

The ad in question is a 30 second spot from New York Democratic Congressional candidate Anthony Brindisi, a New York state representative.

“If you’re watching this ad on Spectrum cable, you’re getting ripped off,” Brindisi says while staring into the camera. “Spectrum has jacked up rates almost double. It’s why I fought to have the state take legal action against Spectrum. Congress needs to go after them, too.”

Brindisi told the New York Times that his campaign had placed previous ads with Charter, but that this specific ad was denied. The spot criticizes Brindisi’s opponent, Claudia Tenney, framing her as a puppet for big telecom providers like Charter. Tenney’s campaign has received donations from major telecom providers, including Charter and Comcast, but they are far from her biggest donor.

The ad also slams Spectrum—Charter’s branding for consumer TV—for raising customer rates while benefiting from federal tax breaks.