Texas hit with a pair of lawsuits for its app store age verification requirements

The state of Texas has enacted the Texas App Store Accountability Act, which requires app store users to verify their age before downloading apps or making in-app purchases. In response, two lawsuits have been filed challenging the law. The first lawsuit was filed by the Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA), which represents companies like Amazon, Apple, and Google. The CCIA argues that the law violates the First Amendment by restricting app stores from offering lawful content and compelling app developers to age-rate their apps. The second lawsuit was filed by a student advocacy group called Students Engaged in Advancing Texas (SEAT). The lawsuit, represented by the law firm Davis Wright Tremaine LLP, also alleges that the law violates the First Amendment by imposing restrictions on access to protected speech and information. The lawsuit also raised concerns about the potential dangers associated with collecting personal information, such as government IDs, to verify identity. Both lawsuits seek to prevent the implementation of the Texas App Store Accountability Act, which is set to go into effect on New Year's Day.