The Supreme Court is being asked to review a Texas law that mandates app stores to implement age verification for users and require parental permission for minors to download apps. This request follows a federal appeals court's decision to allow the law to take effect.
Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, an education activist group, and the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a technology industry lobbying group, have filed emergency petitions urging the Supreme Court to block the enforcement of Senate Bill 2420, citing potential violations of the First Amendment.
The CCIA's petition argues that no state has previously required citizens to verify their age for accessing various forms of media, including newspapers and the internet. Under SB 2420, users must verify their age before downloading any app, with additional requirements for users under 18 to link their accounts to a verified parent's account and obtain parental consent for app downloads and in-app purchases.
The petition contends that the law effectively delegates the responsibility of monitoring access to app stores, which could restrict both minors' and adults' access to online content on a case-by-case basis. The petitioners argue that a similar law would be unconstitutional in a physical retail context.
Justice Samuel Alito, who oversees emergency petitions from Texas federal courts, has requested a response from Texas officials by 4 p.m. on June 22. The Supreme Court is not expected to rule on the petition until after that deadline.
A federal district court had previously blocked the law in December 2025, citing likely violations of the First Amendment, but the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit recently lifted that injunction, suggesting Texas could succeed in its First Amendment defense.
The Supreme Court is set to conclude its current term soon, with remaining opinions on various cases expected to be released in the coming weeks.