A Texas federal judge has blocked an App Store age verification law that was set to go into effect on January 1, 2026, reports MacRumors. This means that Apple may not have to confirm a user’s age when they create an Apple Account after all.
The Texas App Store Accountability Act (SB2420) require Apple and Google to confirm user age when a person creates an Apple Account. Users under 18 would need to join a Family Sharing group, with new controls available for parents and restrictions for minors.
However, Judge Robert Pitman has issued a preliminary injunction that delays the implementation of the act, saying that it violates the First Amendment, calling it “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 judge’s injunction was the result of a motion filed by the Computer and Communications Industry Association (CCIA) group, which oddly enough includes Apple and Google among its members. 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.
Now the court will determine whether the law is invalid, and deciding on its constitutionality.
