Washington. – The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments Tuesday (Aug. 4th) on whether Texas can enforce its “App Store Accountability Act” (ASAA) while the case makes its way through the legal system. The law requires anyone in Texas to show government ID or other proof of age before downloading apps. It also requires parental consent for minors to download apps and app content, and compels speech in the form of age-ratings for content.
The Computer & Communications Industry Association sued after Texas enacted the law last year, asserting that it violates the First Amendment because it imposes government controls over protected speech and access to lawful information through age verification and parental consent requirements. Even though app stores and developers offer tools, and parents use them to tailor online content for their children, Texas nonetheless overrode them and imposed ASAA’s limitations on accessing and sharing Constitutionally-protected expressive content – a plain First Amendment violation.
Federal District Court Judge Robert Pitman blocked the App Store Accountability Act on December 23, 2025, concluding that the law likely violates the First Amendment and must not be enforced. Texas appealed that preliminary injunction and also sought to stay – or lift – the injunction. In June, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed to lift the injunction that prevented the Texas law from taking effect and the Supreme Court declined to intervene.
The hearing on Tuesday by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in Louisiana, which has jurisdiction, involves whether the district court correctly found that the law violated the First Amendment and must be prevented from taking effect, or whether Texas can continue to enforce the law during the months or years it will take to be fully heard in federal district court.
The following can be attributed to CCIA President & CEO Matt Schruers:
“We look forward to presenting argument to demonstrate how Texas’ App Store Accountability Act violates the First Amendment. It is not lawful to require ID to check out at a bookstore or library, and neither should people have to turn over personal data to access the internet.”
