Texas App Store Law Upheld by Supreme Court

Updated 12:47 PM PDT, July 6, 2026

WASHINGTON (AP) — On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to prevent Texas from enforcing a law that mandates app stores to verify the ages of users and secure parental consent for minors who want to download apps or make in-app purchases.

Justice Samuel Alito issued two brief orders rejecting petitions from plaintiffs who argue that the Texas App Store Accountability Act infringes on users’ constitutional right to free speech.

In an earlier ruling, a three-judge panel from the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals determined that the law could go into effect, overturning a district court’s decision from last December that labeled the law unconstitutional.

The plaintiffs challenging the law include the Computer & Communications Industry Association and a group called Students Engaged in Advancing Texas. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is named as a defendant in both suits.

The lawyers for the plaintiffs contended that the law wrongfully aims to restrict access to content that falls under First Amendment protections, including news and educational resources.

“Equity and the public interest justify intervention because safeguarding First Amendment rights — along with parents’ rights to oversee their children as they deem appropriate, not as dictated by the government — is consistently in the public interest,” stated attorneys for Students Engaged in Advancing Texas.

In defense of the law, attorneys from Paxton’s office claimed that it safeguards children from risky modern products.

“A child with access to an app store and a mobile device (like a tablet or smartphone) could download numerous software applications, risk privacy invasions, have their data sold, and be exposed to all sorts of content without any parental consent or knowledge,” they argued.