Earlier this year Google's Eric Schmidt suggested that the internet should have a "delete" button for individuals that wanted to remove troubling information from the web, and thanks to a new law minors in California will get that chance. The SFGate reports that California governor Jerry Brown signed a new law today that will require internet companies to pull down online activity from their services should a minor make the request. While the law is a step forward it has more than a few loopholes. Companies won't need to remove any data from their servers — they'll just need to take it offline — and it only covers photos, data, or other online activity that is generated by the requesting individuals themselves. Minors won't be able to force companies to pull information posted, or reposted, by others. It's scheduled to go into effect in 2015.
While most mainstream services already allow users to delete their accounts, the new law is the latest development in what's been a particularly proactive effort by California legislators to deal with online issues. The state already has provisions in place that ensure victims of domestic violence can have information pulled from the web, and last year it passed a law that prevents employers and universities from demanding Facebook login credentials from individuals.
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