A U.S. federal judge has blocked a controversial Texas law that would have required Apple and Google to verify the age of every user downloading an app from their app stores, delivering a major win for Big Tech as similar legislation continues to gain traction elsewhere.
According to The Verge, U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman has granted a preliminary injunction halting the Texas App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420), which was set to take effect on January 1. The law would have forced mobile app stores to verify users’ ages and transmit that information to developers, effectively making Apple and Google gatekeepers for age-appropriate content across the entire app ecosystem.
In his ruling, Pitman compared the statute 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.” While he has not yet ruled on the law’s constitutionality, Pitman said the state is unlikely to prevail, applying the highest level of scrutiny under the First Amendment.
The judge found that Texas failed to prove the law was the “least restrictive means of achieving a compelling state interest,” adding that it wouldn’t even survive intermediate scrutiny. “However compelling the policy concerns, and however widespread the agreement that the issue must be addressed, the Court remains bound by the rule of law,” Pitman wrote.
The ruling is especially significant because Texas was the first state to see this type of app store age verification law challenged in court. Similar bills have already passed in Utah and Louisiana, while Congress is actively considering federal versions of the proposal. The Texas law had also been closely watched because of heavy lobbying from companies like Meta, Snap, and X, which support shifting age verification responsibility onto app stores.
Apple has been one of the most vocal opponents. CEO Tim Cook reportedly even called Texas Governor Greg Abbott in an attempt to block the law, citing privacy risks and the potential for widespread data collection. Google also opposed the Texas approach, though it has since supported a different age assurance model passed in California that would require less personal data.
The lawsuit against the Texas law was brought by the Computer & Communications Industry Association, whose members include Apple, Google, and Meta, arguing the Act “imposes a broad censorship regime on the entire universe of mobile apps.” A student advocacy group also sued, claiming it would unconstitutionally limit minors’ access to speech.
Interestingly, public sentiment doesn’t fully align with Apple’s stance. A recent Meta-commissioned study found that 83% of Canadian parents support policies requiring app stores to validate a user’s age when downloading apps, highlighting the growing political pressure around child safety online.
As regulators worldwide continue forcing Apple to open up iOS — through third-party app stores, sideloading, and alternative payments — age verification may still be next on the list. Apple appears to be preparing for that reality, rolling out new child safety tools and updated App Store age ratings this year, even as it fights mandatory verification laws in court.
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