Supreme Court Allows Texas App Store Age Verification Law

The Supreme Court of the United States declined to block Texas from enforcing the App Store Accountability Act, also known as Senate Bill 2420. Justice Samuel Alito issued the orders denying petitions from plaintiffs, allowing the state to require app stores to verify users' ages and obtain parental consent for minors under 18 to download apps or make in-app purchases.

The law was signed by Governor Greg Abbott in 2025. While a district court previously found the measure unconstitutional, a three-judge panel from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated it in June. The Supreme Court's refusal to intervene allows the law to remain in effect while the constitutional challenge continues in lower courts. Following the ruling, Apple has begun applying age assurance requirements to new accounts in Texas.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defended the law as a necessary tool to protect children from "dangerous modern products" and unauthorized data sales. Conversely, the Computer and Communications Industry Association and Students Engaged in Advancing Texas argue the law violates First Amendment free speech rights by restricting access to news and educational materials. Similar legislation has been passed in Louisiana, Utah, and Alabama, with Alabama's law scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2027.