A federal judge in Texas blocked the state from enforcing a new law that required app stores and developers to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent for minors. This ruling resulted in a win for technology companies, including Apple and Google.
US District Judge Robert Pitman issued a preliminary injunction against Texas’s App Store Accountability Act, scheduled to take effect in January. The judge cited free speech protection under the First Amendment, noting that the law would likely be ruled as unconstitutional.
Texas law aimed to provide better online protection for children by restricting minors over app downloads or making any in-app purchases without parents’ approval.
State lawmakers argued the measure is necessary to curb excessive smartphone use and limit children’s exposure to potentially harmful online content.
While acknowledging widespread concerns over children’s online safety, Judge Pitman said the court was constrained by constitutional principles.
“However compelling the policy concerns, and however widespread the agreement that the issue must be addressed, the court remains bound by the rule of law,” he said in his order.
The ruling is a setback for Texas, which has been actively trying to regulate digital platforms and social media use among minors.
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The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) challenged the Texas law, welcoming the judge’s decision. Stephanie Joyce, who heads the group’s litigation centre, said the injunction would “preserve the First Amendment rights of app stores, app developers, parents, and younger internet users,” while also protecting parents’ ability to make their own decisions using existing safety tools.
The Texas ruling comes amid a broader international debate over children’s digital safety. Australia this month became the first nation to ban social media use for children under 16.
Apple and Google, which were not plaintiffs in the case, did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The Texas attorney general’s office has also declined to comment.