According to TechCrunch, on Tuesday, a federal judge blocked Texas from implementing its new age verification law, SB2420, which was set to take effect in January. In response, Apple announced it will pause the compliance plans it had outlined for the state back in October. Those plans would have required all users under 18 in Texas to join a Family Sharing group for parental consent on all downloads and purchases. Apple had also planned to update its Declared Age Range API for the state and launch new tools for developers. The judge cited First Amendment concerns in the ruling, which Texas’s attorney general has indicated they plan to appeal. Apple stated its developer tools for age assurance will remain available for testing while it monitors the legal process.
Privacy Versus Protection
Here’s the thing: Apple‘s objection to this law is fascinating because it’s not about whether kids should be protected. It’s about how. The company’s stated concern, as detailed in a developer announcement, is that SB2420 would force the collection of “sensitive, personally identifiable information” for any app download, even something as innocuous as a weather app. That’s a pretty compelling privacy argument. But let’s be real—it’s also incredibly convenient for Apple. Complying with a patchwork of state laws, each with slightly different technical requirements, is a massive operational headache. Framing the fight as a privacy crusade is a much better look than just complaining about compliance costs.
The Developer Headache That Wasn’t
For app makers, this pause is probably a relief. Apple’s planned compliance was going to add new layers of complexity. Think about it: they were going to roll out a Significant Change API to let developers request parental consent again after major updates. They were also creating a new age rating property type in StoreKit and relying on App Store Server Notifications. That’s a lot of new code and logic to implement for just one or two states. Now, developers can keep using the global Declared Age Range API and wait to see how this legal battle shakes out. The uncertainty is annoying, but it’s better than building for a law that might not exist.
A National Battle In State Courts
This isn’t just about Texas. As The New York Times noted, similar laws are coming in Utah and Louisiana next year. What we’re seeing is the opening salvo in a state-by-state war over who gets to regulate the digital world. Tech giants would much prefer a single, federal standard—or better yet, their own self-regulated system. States, feeling that Washington is moving too slowly, are taking matters into their own hands. So the Texas appeal is a big deal. If the block holds, it could chill efforts in other states. If it’s overturned, Apple and Google will be scrambling to build fifty different compliance systems. And honestly, who wins in that scenario? Probably lawyers.
Apple’s Stuck In The Middle
Look, Apple is in a tough spot. It wants to position itself as the privacy-first platform, but it’s also under immense pressure from regulators worldwide to be more transparent and accountable, especially concerning kids. Its toolkit—the Declared Age API, Family Sharing—is its attempt to walk that line. It’s a system it controls. But laws like Texas’s force a specific, more invasive method. So Apple’s fight is really about maintaining control over its own architecture and user experience. The pause in Texas gives them breathing room, but the fundamental tension isn’t going away. They’ll keep building these global compliance tools, hoping they can convince lawmakers that their way is the right way. But as more states jump in, that’s going to be a harder sell.
