Supreme Court lets Texas restrict minors' access to app stores for the time being [View all]

Source: NPR

July 6, 2026 4:15 PM ET


The Supreme Court on Monday allowed a Texas law prohibiting minors from downloading apps without their parent's consent to go into effect.

Multiple organizations had sued the state, arguing that the law violates children's freedom of speech. But in an unsigned, unexplained order, the high court allowed Texas to enforce the law as lawsuits continue in lower courts.

Texas enacted its App Store Accountability Act in 2025. The law requires app stores to verify all users' ages, and it prevents children under age 18 from downloading most apps without parental consent. Texas told a lower court that legislators enacted the law in order to keep minors from seeing "harmful" material.

Challengers argued that such a broad law is plainly unconstitutional under a variety of Supreme Court precedents, holding that children do have substantial free speech rights.

Read more: https://www.npr.org/2026/07/06/nx-s1-5883978/supreme-court-texas-app-store-minors