A Texas federal judge today blocked an App Store age verification law that was set to go into effect on January 1, 2026, which means Apple may not have to support the changes after all.
The Texas App Store Accountability Act (SB2420) requires Apple and other app marketplaces to confirm user age when a person creates an Apple Account. Apple Accounts for users under 18 would need to join a Family Sharing group, with new controls available for parents and restrictions for minors.
In a preliminary injunction that delays the implementation of the act, Judge Robert Pitman said that it violates the First Amendment and is "more likely than not unconstitutional."
The Act is akin to a law that would require every bookstore to verify the age of every customer at the door and, for minors, require parental consent before the child or teen could enter and again when they try to purchase a book. As set out below, the Court finds a likelihood that, when considered on the merits, SB 2420 violates the First Amendment.
The injunction was in response to a motion filed by the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA), a group that includes Apple and Google. Today's decision is a win for Apple, as Apple has been fighting against age assurance requirements in Texas and other states. Apple says that the Texas law impacts user privacy.
While we share the goal of strengthening kids' online safety, we are concerned that SB2420 impacts the privacy of users by requiring the collection of sensitive, personally identifiable information to download any app, even if a user simply wants to check the weather or sports scores.
The court will move on to determining whether the law is facially invalid, which would mean that it is unconstitutional and will be entirely thrown out.
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