First of its Kind California ‘Erase’ Law Allows Minors to Delete Social Media Posts
Photo Credit: REUTERSThe Mean Girl tweets, the Spring Break selfie that probably tanked a summer internship or Ivy League application … . California is now requiring social media companies to give young users the opportunity to deletes such Internet postings.
The first-in-the-country law is being hailed as good step — especially in the absence of a federal law — toward giving under-18 Internet users a chance to remove regrettable postings and preserve their reputation.
“This puts privacy in the hands of kids, teenagers and the parents, not under the control of an anonymous tech company,” James Steyer, founder and chief executive of Common Sense Media, told FoxNews.com.
However, not everybody agrees, arguing Facebook, Twitter and other big, social media sites already allow users of all ages to remove posts. They also argue the law could become burdensome for companies because they would have to figure out who lives in California.
Steyer, whose San Francisco-based group advocates for safe and responsible online use, said critics make a “reasonable point” on that issue. But California had to act in hopes a dysfunctional Washington will take notice and pass a federal law to solve the potential problem of a patchwork of state statues, he said.
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