A federal judge just sidelined another one of Texas' attempts to regulate the internet, calling it unconstitutional. Judge Robert Pitman, from the Western District of Texas, issued a preliminary injunction against a state law known as the Texas App Store Accountability Act. The rule would have forced everyone in Texas to verify their age before downloading any mobile app or making in-app purchases, also demanding parental consent for minors. The legal challenge was brought by the Computer and Communications Industry Association, a group whose members include app store giants like Apple and Google, against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton.
The court found the law would likely fail a strict scrutiny test, meaning the state's method was not the least restrictive way to address its concerns about kids online. While acknowledging legitimate issues with screen time and harmful content, the judge stated the government's approach still has to comply with the First Amendment. This is the same judge who previously blocked parts of a different Texas social media law, the SCOPE Act, on similar free speech grounds, showing a pattern of courts rejecting these legislative efforts.
The ruling also pointed out that portions of the statute were unconstitutionally vague. It highlighted problematic clauses that could hold developers liable for misrepresenting age ratings without clear standards, or that required notifications for undefined "material changes" to an app. This legal loss for the state attorney general underscores the recurring clash between legislative attempts to police digital spaces and the broad protections for speech online.
The court found the law would likely fail a strict scrutiny test, meaning the state's method was not the least restrictive way to address its concerns about kids online. While acknowledging legitimate issues with screen time and harmful content, the judge stated the government's approach still has to comply with the First Amendment. This is the same judge who previously blocked parts of a different Texas social media law, the SCOPE Act, on similar free speech grounds, showing a pattern of courts rejecting these legislative efforts.
The ruling also pointed out that portions of the statute were unconstitutionally vague. It highlighted problematic clauses that could hold developers liable for misrepresenting age ratings without clear standards, or that required notifications for undefined "material changes" to an app. This legal loss for the state attorney general underscores the recurring clash between legislative attempts to police digital spaces and the broad protections for speech online.
