Despite Apple opposition, Texas governor signs sweeping child app safety law
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Caroline Molloy
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Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has signed a new law requiring Apple and Google to verify the ages of appstore users statewide, aiming to curb minors’ access to apps without parental approval, BBC reported May 27.
The App Store Accountability Act, set to take effect Jan. 1, 2026, will require parental approval for minors to download apps or make in-app purchases. The act applies statewide, giving Texas one of the strictest frameworks for app store age verification in the country.
Apple and Google both opposed the measure.
In a direct appeal earlier this month, Apple CEO Tim Cook personally called Abbott to urge a veto of the bill, CatholicVote reported. The Apple chief’s call came as part of a broader push by the company to derail the legislation, which included hiring more lobbyists in Austin and funding targeted ad campaigns.
While Apple insisted it shares “the goal of strengthening kids’ online safety,” the company labeled the bill a risk to privacy, according to BBC. Google declined to comment publicly on the law’s passage.
Texas joins Utah in passing age-verification laws this year as state governments fill the gap left by stalled federal legislation, BBC reported.
