Apple Pauses App Store Changes in Texas After Court Blocks Age-Assurance Law

After a federal judge on Tuesday blocked Texas from implementing a new age-verification law for app stores, Apple announced it will pause its previously announced plans for the state as it continues to monitor the “ongoing legal process.”

Apple said that its previously announced developer tools for age assurance will remain available for testing and use.

The law, known as SB 2420 or the App Store Accountability Act, would have required app stores operated by companies such as Apple and Google to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent for users under 18 before allowing app downloads or purchases. The law also would have required app stores to share age-related data with developers.

A federal judge blocked enforcement of the law, which was set to take effect in January, citing First Amendment concerns. The ruling marked a win for major technology companies and a setback for Texas lawmakers. The Texas attorney general’s office said in a court filing that it plans to appeal the decision, according to a Reuters report.

In preparation for the law, Apple had announced in October a series of changes for apps in Texas. These included a requirement that all users under 18 join a Family Sharing group, allowing parents or guardians to approve all App Store downloads, app purchases, and in-app transactions. Parents would also have been able to revoke consent for any app at any time.

Apple had also said its Declared Age Range API — a technology introduced to help the company comply with a growing number of age-assurance laws worldwide — would be updated to provide the necessary age categories for new account users in Texas. The company also planned to launch new APIs that would allow developers to request parental consent again if their app underwent significant updates.

Apple has opposed the Texas law, as well as similar legislation expected to take effect next year in Utah and Louisiana, citing privacy concerns rather than opposition to child safety.

“While we share the goal of strengthening kids’ online safety, we are concerned that SB2420 impacts the privacy of users by requiring the collection of sensitive, personally identifiable information to download any app, even if a user simply wants to check the weather or sports scores,” Apple said in a developer announcement earlier this year.

On Thursday, Apple said additional developer tools designed to comply with age-assurance laws will remain available for testing. These include the Declared Age Range API, the Significant Change API within PermissionKit, a new age-rating property type in StoreKit, and App Store Server Notifications. Apple also noted that the Declared Age Range API remains available worldwide across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, and macOS 26, and later versions.