HF 712 (LSB 2249HV (1) 90)

HOUSE FILE 712

BY  COMMITTEE ON WAYS AND MEANS

(SUCCESSOR TO HF 526)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to social media data collection regarding children under eighteen years of age, providing civil penalties, and including applicability provisions.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  NEW SECTION.  554G.1  Definitions.
   As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires:
   1.  “Child” means an individual younger than eighteen years of age.
   2.  “Internet site” means the same as defined in section 4.1.
   3.  “Online contact information” means an electronic mail address or any other substantially similar identifier that permits direct contact with a person online, including but not limited to an instant messaging user identifier, a voice over internet protocol identifier, or a video chat user identifier.
   4.  “Personal information” means individually identifiable information about a child collected online, including all of the following:
   a.  First and last name.
   b.  Home or other physical address including street name and name of a city or town.
   c.  Electronic mail address.
   d.  Telephone number.
   e.  Social security number.
   f.  Online contact information, or a screen or user name that functions in the same manner as online contact information.
   g.  A persistent identifier that can be used to recognize a user over time and across different internet sites or online services, including but not limited to a customer number held in a cookie, an internet protocol address, a processor or device serial number, or unique device identifier.
   h.  A photograph, video, or audio file where such file contains a child’s image or voice.
   i.  Geolocation information sufficient to identify street name and name of a city or town.
   j.  Information concerning a child or the parents of that child that an internet site collects online from the child and combines with an identifier described in this subsection.
   5.  “Social media platform” means an internet site or application that is open to the public, allows a user to create an account, and enables users to communicate with other users for the primary purpose of posting information, comments, messages, or images. The term does not include any of the following:
   a.  An internet service provider.
   b.  Electronic mail.
   c.  An online service, application, or internet site that consists primarily of news, sports, entertainment, or other information or content preselected by the provider that is not user-generated and where interactive functionality is incidental to, directly related to, or dependent on the provision of the content.
    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  554G.2  Social media platform —— prohibition on child data collection.
   1.  A social media platform shall not collect, use, or disclose personal information from or regarding a child in this state if the social media platform has actual knowledge that the platform is collecting, using, or disclosing such information, unless consent is obtained pursuant to subsection 2.
   2.  A social media platform shall obtain verifiable parental consent prior to the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information from or regarding a child in this state.
    Sec. 3.  NEW SECTION.  554G.3  Civil penalty.
   A social media platform that violates section 554G.2 shall be subject to a civil penalty of one thousand dollars per violation. A penalty imposed pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the general fund of the state.
    Sec. 4.  NEW SECTION.  554G.4  Enforcement.
   The attorney general may bring a civil action under section 554G.2 on behalf of a child who resides in this state against a social media platform.
    Sec. 5.  APPLICABILITY.  This Act applies to the collection, use, or disclosure of information by a social media platform operating on or after the effective date of this Act.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill relates to social media data collection regarding children under 18 years of age.
   The bill defines “child”, “internet site”, “online contact information”, “personal information”, and “social media platform”. The bill defines “online contact information” to mean an electronic mail address or any other substantially similar identifier that permits direct contact with a person online. The bill defines “personal information” to mean individually identifiable information about a child collected online, including the name, telephone number, social security number, or geolocation information of a child. The bill defines “social media platform” to mean an internet site or application that is open to the public, allows a user to create an account, and enables users to communicate with other users for the primary purpose of posting information, comments, messages, or images.
   The bill prohibits a social media platform from collecting, using, or disclosing personal information regarding a child if the social media platform has actual knowledge that the platform is collecting, using, or disclosing such information, unless a social media platform first obtains verifiable parental consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of such personal information.
   The bill provides for civil penalties. A social media platform in violation of the bill’s provisions shall be subject to a fine of $1,000 per violation. The fine shall be deposited in the general fund of the state.
   The bill provides that the attorney general may enforce the provisions of the bill.
   The bill applies to the collection, use, or disclosure of information by a a social media platform operating in the state on or after the effective date of the bill.