Louisiana House Passes New Version Of Law That Was Ruled Unconstitutional

Louisiana lawmakers are making another push to regulate how residents can use the internet. House Bill 977 cleared the Louisiana House, with a unanimous vote. This legislation requires digital app providers to confirm the age of users before they can download applications, or make purchases.

The current mandate shifts responsibility directly to 'app storefronts' operated by technology companies. Users identified as minors will need linked parental accounts to access digital products. The state Senate will now review the measure, following the vote in the House.

Federal Court Rejects Previous Social Media Age Mandate

This new strategy follows the failure of the 'Secure Online Child Interaction and Age Limitation Act', after a federal judge permanently blocked that previous attempt in December of 2025. The blocked legislation attempted to force individual social media platforms to verify ages and restrict minor accounts.

The court determined the previous law violated the First Amendment by burdening free speech. The ruling also highlighted the privacy risks created when users are forced to hand over identity data to individual websites. Lawmakers drafted the new bill to target 'app stores' as a workaround to the federal injunction.

Security Experts Warn About Digital Identification Risks

Numerous opponents of this bill have pointed out that demanding users provide state identification, or credit cards, online creates vulnerabilities. Privacy advocates from multiple political groups argue that centralized databases of personal information become targets for hackers. Forcing residents to upload digital IDs exposes them to identity theft and data breaches.

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Apple recently tested age verification frameworks in regions including Australia and Utah...system structures that require checking user data against external government databases. Critics maintain that these verification pipelines inherently violate online privacy. The requirement to monitor user age effectively eliminates anonymity, and compromises data security for all adults.

Immediate Legal Challenges Expected For House Bill 977

Technology industry organizations are already preparing lawsuits to stop this legislation, if it passes. Trade groups argue the new mandate suffers from the exact same constitutional flaws as the law struck down last year, and will be pushing for that same logic in court filings. They assert that restricting 'app store' access functions as an unconstitutional barrier to information.

Challengers will likely argue the state bill conflicts with existing federal privacy regulations regarding digital data collection. Federal courts previously blocked a nearly identical app store law in Texas...establishing legal precedent that opponents plan to use against Louisiana. Lawsuits are guaranteed if the Governor signs the current bill into law.