WASHINGTON, DC (December 4, 2025) – The National Center on Sexual Exploitation Law Center, along with the Digital Childhood Institute, filed an Amicus Brief in CCIA and NetChoice v. Paxton supporting the App Store Accountability Act (SB 2420). This newly passed Texas law requires app stores to verify user ages to protect children from mis-rated apps and harmful content, and requires informed parental consent before minors can sign contracts with apps. The amici are represented by Annie McAdams of Annie McAdams PC.
“Texas’ law wisely protects children from predatory and harmful apps and does so in a narrow and targeted way. The law requires age verification, parental authorization before minors enter digital contracts, and accurate disclosure of content information that platforms already claim to provide. Texas’ law should withstand the challenge by the tech industry in court,” said Benjamin Bull, general counsel, National Center on Sexual Exploitation.
“Extensive federal and state investigations, consent decrees, and Congressional hearings show that major app stores have repeatedly misrepresented age ratings, enrolled minors in binding contracts without parental consent, permitted unlawful data collection from children, and distributed harmful applications they actively promote as safe for children. Voluntary measures have not corrected these failures.
“Parents must have the ability that they will receive truthful information about the products their children use. Tech platforms must not be able to hide behind deceptive labels or be able to exploit minors through contracts they have no legal capacity to enter. The tech industry challenging the Texas law effectively is fighting because they want to avoid accountability. We urge the courts not to let that happen,” Bull said.
About National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)
Founded in 1962, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is the leading national non-profit organization exposing the links between all forms of sexual exploitation such as child sexual abuse, prostitution, sex trafficking and the public health harms of pornography.
Annie McAdams of Annie McAdams PC can be reached at Info@mcadamspc.com and annie@mcadamspc.com.
To schedule an interview with NCOSE, please contact press@ncose.com.
