Supreme Court says Texas can continue to enforce age verification law for mobile apps

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that Texas can, for now, continue enforcing it Age verification The law, which requires app stores to verify the ages of minors and secure parental consent before downloading apps or making in-app purchases.

Texas’ App Store Accountability Act, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed in 2025, is being challenged in two separate cases. One of the plaintiffs is Consumer and Communications Industry Associationa technology industry trade group that includes Apple and Google among its members. The other is Students involved in Texas State Advancementa student advocacy group that uses apps for civic education.

In a Arrange one sentenceJustice Samuel Alito denied prosecutors’ request to temporarily halt enforcement while the case is decided. As is the case with Previous legal battles Regarding age verification, this decision will have ramifications on a growing wave of similar proposals across the country — and will be a blow to free speech advocates working to stop it.

Age verification has become one of the most popular and controversial strategies proposed Keep kids safe while they’re online. The general idea is that if a tech company knows a user’s age, it can make sure it’s not serving them inappropriate content.

but Free speech experts say In practice, requiring a user to provide their government ID to prove their age carries risks. People without government-issued identification may unnecessarily lose access. There are also concerns about tech companies sharing users’ personal data with authoritarian governments that want to stifle critical discourse.

Matthew Schruers, President of the Consumer Communications Industry Association, said: In a statement: “People should not have to hand over their personal data to access the Internet any more than they should show a government ID to enter a bookstore.”

On July 1, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the law could remain valid and enforceable while the case was argued before the court. Monday’s Supreme Court ruling declined to block that proposal, so the law remains in effect in Texas. An expedited hearing is expected in the 5th Circuit in early August.

According to Cameron Samuels, executive director of Students Involved in Advancing Texas, one of the parties that filed the lawsuit, the Supreme Court is blocking Texans from accessing everyday applications pending a final decision.

“In the name of protecting children and empowering parents, the App Store Accountability Act only burdens constitutional rights while doing nothing to hold tech companies accountable in the way Texas claims it intends,” Samuels told CNET in a statement.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.