Iowa bill would require kids to get a parent's permission to create social media accounts

Galen Bacharier, Des Moines Register
Updated ·3 min read

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.

Rep. John Wills, R-Spirit Lake, called it a "House Republican priority."

"This is a bill that we worked on last year quite a bit, and I think it helped to fine-tune the language and get it closer to where we have it today," Wills said.

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.

Iowa Rep. Sami Scheetz, D-Cedar Rapids
Iowa Rep. Sami Scheetz, D-Cedar Rapids

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 is 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.

More: How do I keep my kids safe online? Tips for navigating social media with your children

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.

Florida Speaker of the House Paul Renner gives remarks during opening day of the 2024 legislative session on Jan. 9, 2024. A few weeks later, the House passed a bill restricting social media use for minors.
Florida Speaker of the House Paul Renner gives remarks during opening day of the 2024 legislative session on Jan. 9, 2024. A few weeks later, the House passed a bill restricting social media use for minors.

But those laws have run into resistance from a tech trade group that includes Snap, Google, TikTok and Meta, which operates Facebook and Instagram. That group has sued over the laws and has won temporary injunctions in Arkansas and Ohio.

Wills, one of the Iowa bill's sponsors, said he believes the legislation is crafted in a way that it "should survive a challenge" if taken to the courts.

"We have basically, in effect, mimicked federal law," he said, pointing to rules barring children 13 and under from using social media without a parent's permission. "What we've done is simply, as a state, we're going to raise it to 17 years old."

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 this session 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.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Iowa minors would need a parent's OK to open a social media account