US federal judge blocks Texas law requiring app stores to verify users’ ages

• The law would have forced Apple and Google to obtain parental approval for minors to download apps or make in-app purchases.
• Judge Robert Pitman said the measure likely violates the First Amendment.
• Pitman compared the law to requiring bookstores to check the age of every customer before entry.
• Texas can still appeal the ruling, which could shape future app store regulation across the US.

A US federal judge has blocked a Texas law that would have required mobile app stores to verify users’ ages.

The court order prevents the legislation from taking effect on January 1st after Texas Governor Greg Abbott signed a child safety law requiring Apple and Google to verify users’ ages on their app stores.

The law would've mandated parental approval for minors to download apps or make in-app purchases from January 1st, despite opposition from both companies.

However, US District Judge Robert Pitman has now granted a preliminary injunction against the Texas App Store Accountability Act, ruling that the measure likely violates the First Amendment. 

In his order, Pitman compared the law to requiring bookstores to check the age of every customer before entry and to obtain parental consent for minors before they could browse or make purchases.

Nationwide implications 

The law would have placed age verification responsibilities on app store operators such as Apple and Google, requiring them to determine users’ ages and transmit that information to app developers to restrict access to age-inappropriate content. 

Similar legislation has been passed in Utah and Louisiana, while Congress is currently considering national versions of the proposal.

Industry group the Computer & Communications Industry Association, whose members include Apple, Google, and Meta, sued to block the law, arguing it imposes a broad censorship regime and creates significant barriers to lawful speech for teenagers. 

A student advocacy group also challenged the statute, claiming it unconstitutionally limits minors’ access to information.

While acknowledging the importance of protecting children online, Pitman said Texas had failed to show the law was the least restrictive way to achieve that goal. The state can appeal the ruling, and the case is expected to have wider implications for app store regulation nationwide.