Overview
- A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an administrative stay on May 28 that allows Texas Senate Bill 2420 to be enforced while the court considers the state’s appeal.
- SB 2420 would require app marketplaces to verify every user’s age, obtain parental consent before anyone under 18 can download apps or make in‑app purchases, and require developers to label apps for four age groups.
- U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman had blocked the law in December, saying it likely violates the First Amendment and comparing it to requiring age checks at the door of a bookstore.
- The law was challenged by the Computer & Communications Industry Association and other plaintiffs on free‑speech and operational‑burden grounds, while several advocacy groups filed briefs supporting the measure as a tool for parental control and child protection.
- The 5th Circuit gave no public reasoning for the stay, the state must file written arguments by early June, and the order could be reversed on further appellate review, leaving practical enforcement and technical requirements unresolved.