Some teenagers have lost jobs or suffered embarassment because of their pre-adult posts
A campaign backed by the U.K. government wants children to have the right to delete embarrassing pictures or information they share online by the time they reach the age of 18.
Government officials have promised to persuade technology companies to allow 18-year-olds to delete or edit all content they created when they were younger. But, there are no plans to follow California’s Erasure Law, which compels companies to give minors the option to delete user activity.
The iRights Campaign highlights the issues surrounding the way the internet permanently records errors of judgement and immature attitudes, which negatively impacts the lives of of those posting it.
Nicole Sturgeon, the Scottish First Minister, supports the campaign and has also set up a commission to figure out how Scotland can adopt these standards.
“We believe that every child and young person has the right to grow up in a safe environment – that principle applies to the virtual world too,” Sturgeon told the London Times.
