The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to intervene in a Texas law that mandates age verification and parental consent for minors using app stores. Justice Samuel Alito issued orders rejecting petitions challenging the Texas App Store Accountability Act.
The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals previously allowed the law to proceed, overturning a district court’s decision that found the law unconstitutional. The plaintiffs, including the Computer & Communications Industry Association and Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, contend that the law violates free speech rights under the First Amendment.
“Equity and the public interest support relief because protecting First Amendment rights — and parents’ rights to supervise their children as they see fit, not as the government tells them they should — is always in the public interest,” wrote attorneys for Students Engaged in Advancing Texas.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, defending the law, emphasizes child protection from potentially harmful apps. His office asserts that unrestricted access to app stores could lead children to unknowingly share personal information and encounter inappropriate content without parental oversight.
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