Overview
- U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman granted a preliminary injunction blocking enforcement of SB 2420 days before its planned Jan. 1 start.
- He said the law likely violates the First Amendment under strict scrutiny and likened it to forcing bookstores to check IDs at the door.
- The court flagged overbreadth and vagueness, including liability tied to undefined “material changes,” which it said could trigger over-censorship.
- The order noted that minors could be cut off from benign services, citing apps such as the Associated Press, Strava, and dictionary tools.
- CCIA, which represents companies including Apple and Google, brought the suit and welcomed the ruling, as Apple’s Texas-specific age-assurance plans pause over privacy concerns while the case proceeds.