Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment Act (SCOPE / HB 18)
Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment Act (SCOPE / HB 18) in Texas: challenged, effective Active (partial). Applies to Social media and online services with social features. Age range: Under 18. Prohibits sale or sharing of minor's personal identifying information without parental co
Key facts
| Jurisdiction | Texas |
|---|---|
| Category | Social Media |
| Status | challenged |
| Effective date | Active (partial) |
| Age range | Under 18 |
| Applies to | Social media and online services with social features |
Key requirements
- Prohibits sale or sharing of minor's personal identifying information without parental consent
- Parental oversight and monitoring features required
- Age registration requirements
Notes
Fifth Circuit (July 2026, 2-1) affirmed the injunction against the monitoring/filtering and content provisions as vague and content-based; remaining provisions (data sale limits, parental tools, age registration) stay in effect. Texas AG's TikTok SCOPE lawsuit (October 2025) continues.
Frequently asked
What does Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment Act (SCOPE / HB 18) require?
Prohibits sale or sharing of minor's personal identifying information without parental consent Parental oversight and monitoring features required Age registration requirements
Who must comply with Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment Act (SCOPE / HB 18) in Texas?
Social media and online services with social features
When does Securing Children Online Through Parental Empowerment Act (SCOPE / HB 18) take effect and what is its status?
Effective Active (partial). Current status: challenged. Fifth Circuit (July 2026, 2-1) affirmed the injunction against the monitoring/filtering and content provisions as vague and content-based; remaining provisions (data sale limits, parental tools, age registration) stay in effect. Texas AG's TikTok SCOPE lawsuit (October 2025) continues.
Related laws
| Law | Jurisdiction | Category | Status | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's Social Media Safety Act (HB 5511) | Illinois | Social Media | pending | 2028 |
| Kids Over Clicks — Youth Online Safety Package (SB 757-760) | Michigan | Social Media | pending | TBD (pending House) |
| Nevada Youth Online Safety Act (SB 63) | Nevada | Social Media | active | January 1, 2026 |
| Social Media Safety Act (SB 396) & 2025 Amendments (Acts 900 / 901) | Arkansas | Social Media | blocked | N/A (enjoined) |
| Protecting Our Kids from Social Media Addiction Act (SB 976) | California | Social Media | challenged | January 1, 2025 (partial); age verification January 1, 2027 |
| California Addictive Features Ban for Under-16s (AB 1709) | California | Social Media | pending | TBD (awaiting Governor) |
| Healthier Social Media Use by Youth Act (HB 24-1136) | Colorado | Social Media | blocked | N/A (enjoined) |
| Online Protections for Minors (HB 3) | Florida | Social Media | challenged | January 1, 2025 |
Put it into practice
- Generate the policy: COPPA policy generator (generatepolicy.com)
- Buy the policy pack: Privacy Program Bundle (cyberpolicy.shop)
- Build it yourself: 2026 US Privacy Program Workbook (ciso.diy)