Apple has paused planned changes to its App Store operations in Texas after a federal court blocked the state’s new age-assurance law, a measure that would have required app marketplaces to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent for minors.
The company confirmed it would halt compliance preparations following the court decision, which temporarily prevents the law from taking effect while legal challenges continue. The ruling marks a significant setback for Texas lawmakers who had pushed the legislation as a way to strengthen protections for children online.
The blocked law would have placed new obligations on app store operators, including Apple and Google, to verify users’ ages before allowing app downloads and to secure parental approval for users under 18. Critics argued the requirements raised serious privacy concerns and could force companies to collect sensitive personal data at scale.
Apple said the pause applies specifically to changes tied to the Texas law. However, the company stressed that developers can still access existing age-assurance and parental control tools already built into Apple’s ecosystem, including Screen Time, age ratings, and content restrictions.
The legal challenge to the Texas law was brought by industry groups and technology companies, who argued that the statute was unconstitutional and placed undue burdens on platforms. The court agreed, at least for now, that enforcing the law could cause irreparable harm, prompting the injunction.
The Texas case is part of a broader national and global debate over how to regulate children’s access to digital platforms. Several U.S. states have introduced or passed similar age-verification or child-safety laws, many of which are facing legal scrutiny over free speech, privacy, and feasibility.
Apple has consistently argued that app-level age verification should be handled through operating system features rather than mandated by law. The company maintains that centralized age checks at the app store level could weaken user privacy by creating new data collection risks.
With the law on hold, Apple will maintain its current App Store policies in Texas while monitoring the outcome of the court proceedings. A final ruling could still revive the law or permanently strike it down, setting a precedent that may influence similar legislation across the United States.
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