The Supreme Court has allowed Texas to enforce a law that requires mobile app stores to verify the age of users and obtain parental consent for minors attempting to install programs on their phones.
Background
Texas’ law, enacted last year in response to concerns about the online safety of minors, was opposed by the computer industry and a group of students who argued that it violated the First Amendment.
The Supreme Court sided with Texas in the emergency appeal without explanation. There were no noted dissents.
Texas told the Supreme Court that a minor child who downloads a software application from an app store agrees to contractual terms of service, including whether the child’s location will be tracked, whether the child’s privacy will be protected, and whether the child waives the right to sue.
Industry Reaction
The Computer & Communications Industry Association, a trade group whose members include Apple and Google, said the law would effectively bar young people from accessing a wide range of content.
Allowing the law to take effect, the group said, would have “profound consequences for the protection of digital speech.”
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
