Technology (Online Safety)

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.