Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand has proposed a plan to ban social media for children under the age of 16, citing concerns over the impact of social media on mental health. The plan, which was released on Monday, also includes requirements for age verification and parental consent for certain apps.

Proposal Details

Sand’s proposal is focused on restricting and providing more parental oversight for social media and other online platforms. He believes that banning social media for children under 16 is a way to ensure that children are building “healthy habits” in the real world. Sand also wants to address all platforms that are linked with potentially dangerous or negative impacts on children, including gaming platforms like Roblox or video platforms like YouTube.

The proposal calls for banning the sale of minors’ data and banning targeted advertising for minors, specifically related to their personal data, search history, and other information collected online. It also would require minors’ accounts to be private by default, with restrictions on functions like geolocation and direct messages coming from adult users.

Age Verification and Data Protection

Sand’s policy platform includes requiring users’ data to be protected and that only “pertinent age information” is shared with app developers. He also wants to model policy for Iowa on Utah’s “App Store Accountability” Act, which requires app stores to verify users’ ages before allowing them to download applications.

While some concerns have been raised about the potential negative social impacts of setting legal restrictions on minors’ ability to access these platforms, Sand believes that stricter limits are necessary to protect children’s mental health. He has talked to families across the state who are struggling with the presence of social media in their children’s lives and believes that his proposal is a step in the right direction.

Original reporting: KCCI Des Moines — read the source article.