The US Supreme Court has allowed Texas to continue enforcing its App Store Accountability Act, which mandates age verification at the app store level, at least for now, refusing to reinstate lower court orders that had blocked the law while constitutional challenges proceed. The emergency order means Apple and Google must continue verifying users’ ages and obtain parental consent before minors can download apps or make in-app purchases in the state.
The challenge was brought separately by Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT), a youth advocacy group, and the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), whose members include Apple, Google, Amazon, Meta, Cloudflare, Intel, Shopify, Uber and Pinterest, among others.
Notably, although Meta is a CCIA member challenging the Texas law through the association, the company has publicly argued in 2023 and 2026 that app stores should handle age verification and parental approval.
What the court said: The Supreme Court did not explain its reasoning, issuing two brief unsigned orders declining to halt enforcement of the law while the appeals continue. Texas argued that the legislation regulates commercial transactions rather than speech because it governs the circumstances under which minors can enter agreements to download software. It also contended that the law applies equally to every app, irrespective of content, meaning it should be assessed under the less demanding intermediate scrutiny standard instead of strict scrutiny.
The state further maintained that age verification, parental consent and app content ratings directly advance its interest in protecting children’s privacy and safety online. By contrast, the challengers argued that the law burdens First Amendment rights, imposes significant compliance costs on app stores and developers, and duplicates parental control tools that platforms already provide.
What does the law say:
- Age verification: App stores must verify the age of every user when they create an account using a commercially reasonable verification method. Users must be classified into four age categories: under 13, 13–15, 16–17, and 18+.
- Parental consent: If a user is under 18, the app store must link their account to a verified parent or guardian account. Parents must approve every individual app download, paid app purchase and in-app purchase. Blanket consent for multiple downloads or purchases is prohibited.
- Information before consent: Before seeking approval, app stores must tell parents the app’s age rating, why it received that rating, what personal data it collects, and what safeguards the developer has in place.
- Developer obligations: App developers must assign age ratings to apps and in-app purchases, explain the basis for those ratings, and notify app stores before making significant changes to privacy policies, data collection practices, monetisation features, or app…
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