Here's how Theresa May plans to allow teens to delete embarassing social media posts
The Conservatives announced they wanted to enforce the “right to innocence” should they win the General Election.
Theresa May wants to introduce new internet regulations that allow teenagers to wipe their social media history to prevent embarrassing posts coming back to haunt them.
Here’s what you need to know.
How will it work?
The Tories say that if they are returned to power in the General Election, they will give users a new entitlement to require the major social media platforms to delete all of their records from before the age of 18.
Why are they doing this?
Almost half of children aged between eight and 11 have handed over privacy rights to platforms with little or no understanding of what they were doing, according to a recent report by the Children’s Commissioner for England. There are concerns they could be embarrassed by their postings later in life, for example when they apply for a job.
Are the Conservatives proposing any other online safeguards for young people?
They say they want to work with the industry on technical changes to protect children from images of violence, pornography and other inappropriate content. Where a technical fix is not possible, mandatory safeguards will be introduced.
How will it be enforced?
The Conservatives say they will put in place a statutory sanctions regime giving regulators the power to fine or prosecute companies who fail in their legal duties and to order the removal of content that clearly breaches UK law. Ministers say companies operating in the UK will be obliged to comply, even if they are based overseas.
What do the opposition say?
Labour says in government the Conservatives consistently refused to legislate to tackle illegal content online and that tough talk now, just weeks before the election, is “meaningless”.