A federal judge has officially blocked the Texas App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420) from taking effect, as reported by The Verge. Originally slated to launch on January 1, 2026, the law would have forced app stores like Apple’s to verify the ages of all users and obtain parental consent for minors. This ruling provides a reprieve for Apple as it continues to battle a growing wave of state-level age-gating regulations.
U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman issued the preliminary injunction, arguing that the statute likely violates the First Amendment. In a pointed critique, Pitman compared the law to requiring a physical bookstore to “card” every customer at the door. He noted that requiring parental consent just to enter a digital marketplace or browse apps creates an unconstitutional burden on free speech for both adults and minors.
While the court acknowledged the importance of protecting children online, it found that Texas failed to prove this law was the “least restrictive means” to achieve that goal. Because the law would have affected virtually every app—from weather updates to educational tools—it was deemed overly broad and unconstitutionally vague.
Apple has been a vocal opponent of the Texas law, with CEO Tim Cook reportedly reaching out to Governor Greg Abbott directly to express concerns. The company argues that universal age verification would require collecting sensitive personal data from millions of users who simply want to download basic apps. This “centralized age-verifier” model clashes with Apple’s long-standing commitment to minimizing the amount of data it collects on its users.
Following the court’s ruling, Apple has already confirmed it will pause its planned implementation of the Texas-specific features. Previously, the company had prepared tools like the Declared Age Range API to help developers comply with the mandate. For now, those tools will remain in a sandbox testing environment rather than being forced into the live App Store environment for Texans.
Similar laws have been passed in Utah and Louisiana, and members of Congress are currently debating federal versions of these statutes.
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