Apple wins in Texas Court to stop new Age-Verification Law!

The NewYorkTimes.com reported “A federal judge on Tuesday blocked Texas from enforcing a new state law that requires companies that run app stores, like Apple and Google, to verify the ages of users — a win for the tech giants and a blow to parents who want more control over the apps their children download.”  The December 23, 2025 article entitled " Judge Blocks Texas Age-Verification Law for App Stores” (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/23/technology/texas-app-age-law-blocked.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share) included these comments from reporter Ryan Mac:

Judge Robert Pitman of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas issued a preliminary injunction against the law, the App Store Accountability Act, saying it likely violated the First Amendment. Under the law, which was set to take effect in January, app store companies must create means for users younger than 18 to obtain parental consent to download apps or make purchases within apps.

Texas is among the largest of more than 20 states that have considered or passed similar age-verification laws, which supporters have said are a way to protect minors from toxic online content and behavior. In October, California passed an age-verification regulation that Apple and Google supported because it was less onerous than other state laws.

Judge Pitman compared the Texas law to a requirement for bookstores to verify the age of customers at their doors and require parental consent before minors could enter or buy a book.

Good news!