The proposed legislation, known as the Social Media Parental Authorization Act, mandates that social media companies must obtain explicit parental authorization before allowing minors, defined as individuals under the age of eighteen, to create accounts on their platforms. The bill outlines the requirements for parental authorization, which can be a written statement or a digital authorization verified by the social media company. Additionally, it prohibits companies from collecting or retaining any data related to minors without this authorization and requires them to provide parents or guardians with access to their child's account, enabling them to monitor activity and manage settings.

The bill also establishes enforcement mechanisms, allowing the attorney general to pursue civil actions against companies that violate these provisions, with penalties of up to $1,000 per violation. Furthermore, individuals harmed by violations can seek damages in district court, with potential awards of $10,000 for each violation or actual damages if the violation directly caused harm. The attorney general is tasked with creating rules to facilitate compliance with the new requirements, and the act will apply to social media companies operating in Iowa after its effective date.