The Supreme Court declined on July 6, 2026, to block Texas from enforcing its App Store Accountability Act while litigation continues. The age verification law requires app stores to verify user age and obtain parental consent for minors before app downloads or in-app purchases. Challengers argue the law burdens First Amendment rights and access to protected content, while Texas defends it as child protection. The policy question is how to balance child safety, parental control, privacy, access to lawful information, and the burden of verifying age for ordinary apps. Parents need help with app stores, but handing over family identity data for every download creates a different kind of risk.
Should app stores have to verify age and get parental consent for minors?