HB 18 also known as Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment Act or just The SCOPE Act is an American law in

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

. The law requires internet platforms to verify the age of a parent or guardian of accounts if they are signed in as under 18. It also requires parental consent before collecting the data on minors under 18 years of age. Which is an increase from the age set at the federal level under

COPPA Coppa or COPPA may refer to: * '' Coppa'' or ''capocollo'', a type of Italian pork cold cut * Montonico bianco, a white Italian wine grape variety grown in the Calabria region of southern Italy * Coppa (surname) * Coppa Italia, a domestic Italian l ...

which is 13. It also requires platforms to block and filter if the content promotes suicide, self-harm, eating disorders, substance abuse, stalking, bullying, or harassment, or grooming.

Lawsuit against the act

''CCIA & NetChoice v. Paxton''

On July 30, 2024, The trade associations The Computer and Communications Industry Association and

NetChoice NetChoice is a trade association of online businesses that advocates for free expression and free enterprise on the internet. It currently has six active First Amendment lawsuits over state-level internet regulations, including '' NetChoice v. Pa ...

filed a lawsuit against Texas Attorney General

Ken Paxton Warren Kenneth Paxton Jr. (born December 23, 1962) is an American politician and lawyer who has served as the attorney general of Texas since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served in the Texas Senate representing the e ...

to the to block enforcement of the law to The Western District Court of Texas. Judge Robert Pitman on August 30, 2024, blocked the block and filtering content requirements of the law. However, let the rest of the law take effect as the Plaintiffs didn't show evidence that the other parts of the law were unconstitutional.

''Students Engaged in Advancing Texas et al v. Paxton''

On August 16, 2024,

FIRE Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...

helped 4 plaintiffs to sue the Attorney General Ken Paxton. alleging that the law violated the first amendment.

Lawsuits enforcing the act

''Texas v. TikTok''

On October 3, 2024

sued TikTok for violating The SCOPE Act demanding a trial and for penalties of up to 10,000 dollars per violation. TikTok denies that it violated the law.Ken Paxton sues TikTok for disclosing Texas minors’ data. , The Texas Tribune
/ref>

References

{{reflist 2023 in American law Child welfare in the United States Texas statutes Internet law in the United States Child online safety laws