TL;DR
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction preventing Texas’s App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420) from taking effect on January 1. The court found the law likely conflicts with the First Amendment and paused enforcement while the case proceeds.
What happened
A federal judge, Robert Pitman, granted a preliminary injunction that stops Texas’s App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420) from taking effect as scheduled on January 1. The statute would have required mobile app stores to verify users’ ages and convey age signals to app developers to block age-inappropriate experiences. In his order the judge compared the measure’s mechanics to requiring every bookstore to check customers’ ages and obtain parental consent. The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), representing major platform members, sued to block the law, arguing it would impose broad censorship and burden minors’ access to online speech; a student-advocacy group filed a separate challenge on First Amendment grounds. Pitman found that the law warrants heightened judicial scrutiny and concluded Texas had not shown the statute is narrowly tailored to achieve its stated goals, though he has not ruled on the case’s ultimate merits.
Why it matters
- The injunction halts the first state law of this kind to face a court test, setting an early legal benchmark for similar measures.
- If upheld, the law would have shifted responsibility for age-checks onto app stores, altering how platforms and developers handle user data and access.
- The ruling arrives as Congress and other states consider comparable proposals, so it could influence national policy and future legislation.
- The decision highlights constitutional limits on broad content- and access-regulation tools aimed at protecting minors online.
Key facts
- Judge Robert Pitman granted a preliminary injunction blocking SB 2420 from taking effect on January 1.
- SB 2420 would have required app stores to verify users’ ages and transmit age signals to app developers.
- Pitman said the law requires heightened First Amendment scrutiny and found Texas had not shown it was the least restrictive means.
- The Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) sued to block the law; CCIA’s members include Apple, Google, and Meta.
- A student advocacy group filed a separate suit arguing the statute unconstitutionally limits minors’ exposure to speech.
- Similar state laws have been passed in Utah and Louisiana; Texas’s law was the first among these to be legally challenged.
- The state may appeal the injunction to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, which has previously overturned internet-related blocks.
- Apple opposed Texas’s approach; CEO Tim Cook reportedly contacted Governor Greg Abbott about the bill. Google has opposed Texas’s model but supports a different, lower-data model passed in California.
What to watch next
- Whether the state of Texas will appeal the preliminary injunction to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.
- Congressional action: the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee has advanced bills that borrow elements from the Texas and California proposals.
- How major platform operators adjust policies or product features in response to litigation and emerging state or federal proposals.
Quick glossary
- Preliminary injunction: A temporary court order that pauses enforcement of a law or action while the underlying legal challenge is decided.
- Strict scrutiny: The highest standard of judicial review, applied when a law potentially infringes fundamental rights; the government must show the law is narrowly tailored to serve a compelling interest.
- App store age verification: Mechanisms requiring app marketplaces to confirm or transmit a user’s age to restrict access to age-inappropriate apps or features.
- Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA): A trade group representing technology companies; it often litigates and lobbies on internet policy and platform regulation.
Reader FAQ
Has the judge decided the case on its merits?
No. The judge granted a preliminary injunction but has not ruled on the case’s merits.
Who challenged the Texas law in court?
The Computer & Communications Industry Association sued to block the law; a student advocacy group filed a separate challenge.
Can Texas still enforce the law?
Not while the preliminary injunction is in place; the state can appeal the order to the Fifth Circuit.
Does this ruling end similar proposals elsewhere?
Not necessarily. Congress and other states are still considering related measures; the ruling is an early judicial test but not a final resolution.
NEWS POLICY SPEECH Judge blocks Texas app store age verification law The law was set to take effect next month. by Lauren Feiner Dec 23, 2025, 6:15 PM UTC 0…
Sources
- Judge blocks Texas app store age verification law
- Texas law restricting kids from app stores blocked
- Judge pauses Texas' app store age verification law
- US judge blocks Texas app store age law meant to protect …
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