A law requiring age verification on the App Store in Texas was blocked by a court just days before it was due to go into effect. Federal Judge Robert Pitman issued a temporary injunction preventing the implementation of the law, known as the Texas App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420).
App Store Age Verification Law in Texas Blocked by Court
SB 2420 mandated that platforms like the App Store verify users’ ages. Under the law, Apple would have required users to perform age checks before downloading apps or accessing paid in-app content. Last month, Apple released multiple APIs and sandbox tools to help developers comply with the law.
In his ruling, Judge Pitman acknowledged the importance of efforts to better protect children on devices but stated that SB 2420 was likely unconstitutional. The ruling compared the law to requiring every bookstore to verify every customer’s age at the door and requiring parental consent for minors purchasing books. The court emphasized that the law likely violated the First Amendment.
This decision comes as a result of a lawsuit filed by the Computer & Communications Industry Association, of which companies like Amazon, Apple, and Google are members. Apple’s global head of privacy, Hilary Ware, had previously stated in a letter opposing SB 2420 that there were better alternatives that didn’t require millions of people to share their personal information.
It is known that Tim Cook met with members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce in Washington earlier this month to discuss Apple’s privacy concerns. Apple’s age assurance feature allows parents to share their children’s age range with app developers without requiring the sharing of sensitive information such as birth dates or identification documents.
Despite today’s injunction, SB 2420 is not entirely eliminated. Texas will not be able to enforce the law during the legal process, but will likely appeal the decision, potentially taking the case to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Following this decision, Apple announced it will pause its previously announced implementation plans and monitor the ongoing legal process.
The company also stated that tools such as the Declared Age Range API, the Significant Change API under PermissionKit, the new age rating feature in StoreKit, and App Store Server Notifications can help developers meet the obligations of laws that will go into effect in Utah and Louisiana in 2026. It was also clarified that the Declared Age Range API will remain available worldwide for users of iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26 or later.
This decision is considered a significant win for Apple. It strengthens the company’s arguments against similar laws in Utah and Louisiana, and the federal version currently under consideration in Congress. The debate over age verification laws is expected to continue in the future.
Do you think these types of age verification systems are a privacy-conscious approach?
