Supreme Court permits Texas to enforce app store age verification law

This ruling establishes an immediate compliance burden for app store operators and developers distributing software in Texas. By allowing enforcement during the appeals process, the Court signals a potential shift toward localized digital regulation that bypasses federal standards. Streaming platforms must now evaluate whether their current age-gating and parental control stacks meet the statute’s specific notification and consent requirements. For the broader ecosystem, this sets a precedent for other states like Utah and Louisiana to activate similar 'app store accountability' frameworks that were previously stalled. Watch for the 5th Circuit’s full ruling in August 2026, which will likely determine the long-term viability of state-level digital gatekeeping.

The Texas App Store Accountability Act, signed into law in May 2025, requires app store accounts for users under 18 to be linked to a parent or guardian. Per CNET (July 2026), these rules force developers to implement granular age-rating systems and notify app stores of 'material changes' to content or data processing. Industry groups such as the CCIA argue this creates an unconstitutional 'carding' requirement for digital speech, noting that no equivalent mandate exists for physical bookstores or newspapers. While similar laws in Utah and Ohio have faced mixed results in lower courts, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently sided with Ohio in June 2026, allowing that state to enforce its own parental consent requirements.

This trend toward state-level age verification follows a 2025 Supreme Court decision that upheld a separate Texas law requiring age-gating for adult entertainment websites. However, as noted by Texas Standard (July 2026), the current app store law is significantly broader, encompassing news, educational, and social media applications. Trade organizations are particularly concerned about the privacy implications of requiring government-issued identification to access the internet. Meanwhile, international regulations are tightening alongside U.S. state moves; for instance, Australia and the United Kingdom are currently pursuing 'Australia plus' packages that could ban social media access for children under 16, according to reporting from Reuters in July 2026.