Iowa lawmakers want to require anyone under 18 to get permission to create social media accounts, advancing a bill Wednesday that would give parents and guardians more oversight over their children’s internet use.
House File 2255, sponsored by more than a dozen Republicans, would also seek to allow the Iowa attorney general and users to sue those companies for violating the parental authorization rules.
The bill was advanced after a brief subcommittee hearing on a 3-0 vote Wednesday morning. Rep. Sami Scheetz, D-Cedar Rapids, said he had questions about how the bill would be enforced but voted to advance it alongside two Republicans.
“As somebody who grew up in the social media age, I understand firsthand how damaging social media can be to the mental health of young people,” Scheetz said.
How would House File 2255 increase parent oversight of social media?
Under the legislation, Iowans younger than 18 wouldn’t be allowed to create an account on a social media platform such as Instagram, Facebook and TikTok before receiving express permission from a parent or guardian who are allowed to revoke permission at any time.
Data collection on children who haven’t created accounts with parental permission would be forbidden, and companies would be required to provide the parent or guardian with a password or other means of access to monitor children’s posts, private settings, messages and time spent on the platform.
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The legislation also grants Iowa’s attorney general the ability to bring a civil lawsuit against any company that violates the parental permission requirements and seek damages totaling $1,000 per violation.
It would also allow lawsuits from Iowans harmed using the platform, letting them seek damages of either $10,000 or, if a court determines that the company’s violation was a direct cause of the harm, further damages.
What has happened to social media legislation passed in other states?
Lawmakers in several other states — Arkansas, Ohio and Utah among them — have sought similar restrictions on social media, barring children from creating accounts on platforms without parental consent.
But those laws have run into resistance from a tech trade group that includes Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram, Snap, Google and TikTok. That group has sued over the laws and has won temporary injunctions in Arkansas and Ohio.
Who supports the Iowa social media legislation?
Multiple conservative religious groups, including The Family Leader, Iowa Catholic Conference and Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition, have registered in support of the legislation.
TechNet, a trade group whose members include a host of tech companies and social media providers, is opposed to the Iowa bill.
Iowa lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have filed legislation aiming to place more stringent regulations on social media platforms.
A bill filed earlier this week by Sen. Janet Petersen, D-Des Moines, Senate File 2219, requires platforms to provide a means for Iowans to report material found on a platform that they believe is child sexual abuse, including if the user reporting the material is a minor.
Galen Bacharier covers politics for the Register. Reach him at gbacharier@registermedia.com or (573) 219-7440, and follow him on Twitter @galenbacharier.
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