A US federal court has temporarily blocked a Texas law that would have required users to verify their age before downloading mobile apps or accessing paid online content, ruling that the measure likely violates the First Amendment.
In an order issued Tuesday, US District Judge Robert Pitman granted a preliminary injunction preventing Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton from enforcing Senate Bill 2420, known as the Texas App Store Accountability Act. The law was scheduled to take effect in January 2026.
Writing for the US District Court for the Western District of Texas, Judge Pitman concluded that the statute imposed unconstitutional, content-based restrictions on speech. The court found that Texas failed to demonstrate that the law was narrowly tailored or that it used the least restrictive means to achieve its stated goals, as required under constitutional standards.
The ruling applied the strict scrutiny test, the most demanding level of judicial review, which is used when laws burden fundamental rights such as free speech. Under strict scrutiny, the government must show that a law serves a compelling state interest and is narrowly tailored to achieve that interest using the least restrictive means available.
While acknowledging Texas’ concerns about children’s screen time, exposure to harmful online content, and potential mental health impacts of app usage, the court emphasized that such policy goals must still comply with constitutional protections.
“However compelling the policy concerns,” the court wrote, “the means to address them must be consistent with the First Amendment.”
The court also ruled that several provisions of the law were unconstitutionally vague. Judge Pitman pointed to language that holds app developers liable for “knowingly misrepresenting” age ratings without providing clear standards for how those ratings should be assigned. He also criticized requirements for developers to notify users of “material changes” to app functionality, noting that the law failed to define what qualifies as “material.”
Passed by the Texas Legislature in April, the law would require all Texas residents to verify their age before downloading mobile applications or making in-app purchases. It also mandates parental consent for minors seeking to download apps or access paid content.
The lawsuit was brought by the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), whose members include major app store operators such as Apple and Google. The group argued that the law violated the First Amendment by imposing sweeping and unconstitutional restrictions on access to lawful speech.
Tuesday’s ruling continues a pattern of judicial skepticism toward Texas efforts to regulate online platforms. The same court has previously blocked portions of House Bill 18, known as the Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment (SCOPE) Act, which sought to restrict minors’ access to certain social media platforms. Judge Pitman found elements of that law unconstitutional in cases including NetChoice and CCIA v. Paxton and Students Engaged in Advancing Texas v. Paxton.
Litigation over Texas’ digital regulation laws remains ongoing, but Tuesday’s injunction prevents enforcement of the app store age verification law while the case proceeds.
