Apple Pauses Plans for New Age-Verification Law in Texas
After a federal judge blocked Texas from implementing a new age-verification law for app stores, Apple announced it will pause its previously announced plans for the state. The tech giant stated that it will continue to monitor the ongoing legal process before making further decisions.
Apple reassured developers that its previously announced developer tools for age assurance would remain available for testing and use despite the setback in Texas.
The App Store Accountability Act, also known as SB 2420, would have required app stores, such as those operated by Apple and Google, to verify user ages and obtain parental consent for users under 18 to download apps or make purchases. Additionally, the law would have mandated the sharing of age data with developers.
A federal judge blocked the enforcement of the law citing First Amendment concerns just before it was set to take effect in January. This ruling was seen as a victory for tech giants like Apple and a setback for Texas lawmakers, who have expressed their intent to appeal the decision.
To comply with the now-halted law, Apple had introduced new requirements for apps in Texas. These requirements included all users under 18 joining a Family Sharing group where parents or guardians could provide consent for app downloads and transactions. Parents would also have the ability to revoke consent at any time.
Apple had previously objected to the law, as well as similar laws in Utah and Louisiana, on the grounds of privacy implications rather than child protection. The company expressed concerns about the collection of sensitive, personally identifiable information for simple app downloads.
Despite the setback in Texas, Apple announced that developer tools for complying with age-assurance laws would remain available for testing. These tools include the Declared Age Range API, Significant Change API under PermissionKit, New age rating property type in StoreKit, and App Store Server Notifications. The Declared Age Range API is available worldwide on iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26, and later versions.
