Teens get right to delete online indiscretions

California teenagers who post photographs of themselves wearing too little clothing or having had too much to drink will have the legal right to erase their online indiscretions under first-of-its-kind legislation.

The so-called Eraser Bill, which Democratic governor Jerry Brown signed into law this week, will require social media sites to allow California children aged under 18 to remove their own postings as of Jan 2015, even as top sites already allow users to delete their own posts.

The law forces companies to provide a way for minors to delete digital skeletons — rants, postings, and pictures that could harm their reputations, their chances of getting into college, and their employment opportunities.