Texas Just Won the Right to Block Teens From App Stores: Here's What Changes

Should there be broad social media restrictions for teens and young children? This has been at the centre of a growing debate over the past few years.

Supporters argue that many young people are highly impressionable and can be negatively affected by harmful online content, while critics say broad restrictions on social media could do more harm than good.

Governments, however, increasingly appear to be siding with the former.

On Monday, the US Supreme Court allowed Texas to continue enforcing its age verification law. Signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott in 2025, the Texas App Store Accountability Act (Senate Bill 2420) requires app stores and developers to verify users’ ages and obtain parental consent before minors under 18 can download apps.

Separately, House Bill 1181, enacted in 2023, requires websites containing explicit adult content to verify that users are at least 18 years old.

Why was the social media law challenged at the Supreme Court?

The law was challenged through two separate lawsuits.