On Tuesday (local time), a federal judge in Texas, U.S., issued a preliminary injunction to bar the state from enforcing the App Store Accountability Act. This act, slated to take effect in January of next year, mandates that app stores and developers verify users' ages. Its purpose is to ensure that users under the age of 18 secure parental consent before downloading apps or making in-app purchases. The judge holds the view that this measure could potentially infringe upon the freedom of speech protected by the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

This ruling marks a triumph for tech giants like Apple and Google, as well as the U.S. Computer & Communications Industry Association. These entities had previously filed lawsuits in an attempt to prevent the law from coming into force. The association pointed out that the law places undue burdens on app stores, developers, minors, and parents, burdens that are out of proportion to the issues policymakers aim to tackle.