HF 201 creates a new criminal offense for sharing someone's personal information without consent to harass them. It prohibits purposefully distributing details like home addresses, phone numbers, email, social media, or work locations with intent to threaten, intimidate, or alarm the person or encourage others to do so. Violations are classified as aggravated misdemeanors, punishable by fines up to $8,540 or up to two years in jail. This law directly affects individuals who share others' private details online or offline to cause harm, providing a specific legal remedy for this form of harassment.
SF 35 expands the definition of harassment to include the unauthorized sharing of personal information. This bill directly affects individuals whose private contact or identity details are shared without their consent, as well as those who engage in such actions. It specifies that a person commits harassment if they purposefully disseminate, publish, distribute, or post another person's personal information without consent, intending to threaten, intimidate, annoy, or alarm them or encourage others to do so. "Personal information" is broadly defined to include contact details like home address, phone numbers, email, social media profiles, place of employment, and photographic depictions. Violations of this provision are classified as harassment in the first degree, an aggravated misdemeanor.
HF 849 expands the definition of harassment to include the unauthorized sharing of personal information. The bill makes it an offense to purposefully disseminate, publish, distribute, or post another person's personal information without their consent, with the intent to threaten, intimidate, annoy, or alarm them or encourage others to do so. "Personal information" is defined to include contact details like home addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, social media profiles, places of employment, and photographic or film depictions. A violation of this provision is classified as harassment in the first degree, an aggravated misdemeanor, carrying potential penalties of confinement and fines.
This bill requires Iowa public schools to adopt policies restricting personal electronic device use during classroom instruction starting in 2025, with specific guidelines for device storage, emergency communication, and exemptions for students with individualized education plans (IEPs) or 504 plans. It also mandates that health classes in grades six and eight include instruction about social media's effects, as specified in amended curriculum standards (sections 256.11, subsections 3 and 4). School districts must develop model policies for device use, and teachers must receive professional development to deliver the new social media curriculum. The law directly affects all public school students in grades six through eight and their educators, with implementation beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.
SF 207 requires commercial online platforms ("covered platforms") that publish or distribute obscene material to verify the age of users attempting to access it. If a platform fails this "reasonable age verification" and a minor accesses the material, the platform could face civil lawsuits for damages (including punitive damages up to three times attorney fees) and must not retain or sell the user's age verification data. The bill permits third-party verification using methods like government ID or cryptographic techniques to protect privacy. It explicitly excludes liability for regular internet users and providers merely connecting to content, and enforcement would only occur through private lawsuits - not by state authorities.
HF 278, the "Social Media Parental Authorization Act," requires social media companies operating in Iowa to obtain parental permission before allowing minors (under 18) to create accounts. Companies must verify parental authorization - either in writing or through a digital process - and cannot collect or store data about minors without it. Parents or guardians who grant permission gain full access to monitor their child’s posts, messages, privacy settings, and screen time, and can revoke authorization at any time. Violations could result in civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation for companies, or $10,000 per violation for harmed individuals seeking damages in court.
This bill requires Iowa school districts to adopt policies restricting student use of personal electronic devices during classroom instruction by the 2025 school year. It mandates that health classes in grades six through eight include age-appropriate instruction about the effects of social media. The policies must cover device storage, emergency communication methods, and exceptions for students with individualized education plans (IEPs) or 504 plans. Schools must also develop model policies for device use and provide teacher training on social media effects, as outlined in updated health curriculum standards.
HF 798, the "Social Media Parental Authorization Act," requires social media companies operating in Iowa to obtain prior parental authorization before allowing minors (under 18) to create accounts. This authorization must be either written or digital, verified by the platform, and grants parents access to monitor their child’s posts, messages, account settings, and usage time. The bill prohibits companies from collecting or storing minor data without authorization and bans account creation if minors are already restricted by other state or federal laws. Violations can result in civil penalties up to $1,000 per violation for companies, or $10,000 per violation plus actual damages for harmed individuals.
SF 370 requires Iowa public schools to adopt policies restricting student use of personal electronic devices during classroom instruction starting in the 2025-2026 school year. It mandates that health classes in grades six and eight include instruction on the effects of social media, and directs school districts to develop model policies by May 1, 2025. The bill also requires schools to provide professional development for teachers on social media effects and establish clear protocols for device storage, emergency communication, and disciplinary procedures. These changes apply to all public school districts, charter schools, and innovation zone schools in Iowa.
This Iowa bill (SF 443) requires commercial websites ("covered platforms") that regularly publish or distribute obscene material online to verify users' ages using methods like government IDs or financial documents. It prohibits these platforms from retaining or selling users' age verification data after checks are completed, while allowing privacy-preserving techniques like zero-knowledge proofs. Violations could result in civil penalties up to $10,000 per offense, enforced by the state attorney general. The law explicitly excludes liability for internet users, basic service providers (like ISPs), or platforms merely connecting to third-party content.
