The cross-bench life peer Baroness Beeban Kidron has called for all websites used by those under 18 to include a delete button allowing them to edit or remove any of their posts, at any time. The idea forms one of five "iRights," part of a broader campaign "to make the digital world a more transparent and empowering place for children and young people."
These iRights range from important general ones, such as a "right to know who is holding or profiting from their information, what their information is being used for and whether it is being copied, sold or traded," to a more practical suggestion for a right to digital literacy. The most problematic is the "right to remove," which would make it easy for every child and young person to edit or delete all content they have created.
That sounds like a good idea in theory. After all, young people do frequently post material that they might regret afterwards. They—and their parents—would doubtless welcome the option to erase some of those less-flattering moments from a digital record that could haunt them for the rest of their (adult) lives. But however noble the intention, it is not at all clear how it would work in practice.
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