Texas Should Require Parental Consent for Children's App Downloads and Purchases
Source: Jordan Sekulow. "You Should Control Your Child's Phone — Not Silicon Valley." June 8, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
Parents should have the right to approve what apps their kids download and what purchases they make, just like they control other aspects of their children's lives. Texas is trying to make this happen, but big tech companies are fighting it in court because they profit from unrestricted access to children.
Conclusion
Texas's App Store Accountability Act requiring parental consent before minors can download apps or make in-app purchases is constitutional and necessary to protect parental rights
Premises
- When children download apps, they enter binding commercial relationships with terms of service and data harvesting agreements
- American law has long prohibited minors from entering commercial agreements without parental involvement, similar to restrictions on alcohol purchases and contract signing
- Tech platforms deliberately engineer their products to maximize engagement among young users through sophisticated algorithms and behavioral design
- Social media poses documented risks to youth mental health, with rising rates of anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation correlating with smartphone adoption
- The Supreme Court has consistently upheld parental rights and age-based restrictions that support rather than supplant parental judgment
- The law does not constitute government censorship but merely ensures parents are involved in their children's digital marketplace decisions
Assumptions
- Parents are better positioned than tech companies to make decisions about their children's digital consumption
- Tech companies' primary motivation is profit rather than child welfare
- Age verification for app downloads is technically feasible and not overly burdensome
- The correlation between social media use and mental health problems indicates causation
- Constitutional parental rights extend to the digital realm