At a ceremony in Amarillo, Texas, Governor Greg Abbott (R) signed Senate Bill 2420, the App Store Accountability Act, into law, marking a significant move to protect minors’ online safety and restore parental authority over digital access.
“Smartphones can subject children to adult content and even sexual exploitation,” said Governor Abbott. “This law rightfully restores power back to parents over what their children are doing.”
The legislation requires major app stores, such as Apple’s App Store and Google Play, to verify a user’s age when creating an account. Users under 18 require parental consent before apps can be downloaded, or in-app purchases made. Texas has become one of the first states to enforce such requirements at the app store level.
Support for the bill came from a wide range of organizations, including the Texas Medical Association, the Texas Pediatric Society, and the National Center on Sexual Exploitation, signaling a broad concern over the risks children face online.
Representative Caroline Fairly, who carried the bill through the House, said the law aims to shift control from tech platforms back to families. “We’ve ensured that big tech is not in the driver’s seat, but that parents are,” she said.
Speaker Dustin Burrows also spoke to the bill’s real-world impact, especially in the lives of families and educators. “If our teachers have to compete with apps kids shouldn’t even have access to, we’re setting them up for failure,” he said.
Governor Abbott acknowledged outside pressure not to sign the bill but made the state's stance clear, “Here in Texas, we prioritize our children over special interests.”
While the ceremony also included the signing of House Bill 1481 to limit smartphones in classrooms, SB 2420 stands out for targeting Big Tech’s role in shaping children's online lives and handing that control back to parents.
