A right to erase your social media history

Delete posts before age 18 Crackdown on extremism links PM pledge to protect children

‘Make changes to protect minors’

THERESA May will today promise a crackdown on internet giants that gives people the right to have their social media history wiped.

The Prime Minister will pledge to make the country the ‘safest place in the world to be online’, with the threat of punitive new levies unless firms clean up their act.

Web users can demand platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram delete their records from before they were aged 18.

It would mean that adults do not face the prospect of embarrassing pictures they took when younger, or posts they regret writing in their youth, coming back to haunt them.

Sites will also be required not to direct browsers unintentionally to hate speech, pornography, or other sources of harm.

And firms will be obliged to take down any inappropriate, bullying, harmful or illegal content reported to them or provide an explanation of why not. The entitlements and protections will be backed up with a statutory sanctions regime that gives regulators the ability to fine or prosecute those companies who fail in their legal duties.

Ministers will promise to work with the industry to make changes to social media, app stores and websites to protect minors.

The Tories will put into law the power to impose an industry-wide levy on social media companies if they fail to introduce adequate reforms. The charge, modelled on a levy on the gambling industry, would raise money to provide awareness of potential dangers online.

Mrs May will also promise to make Britain ‘the best place in the world to do business online’ with improvements to broadband and extra buying and selling rights.

People will be entitled to take up basic digital training throughout their lives. Government departments will be required to make it easier for citizens to access their services using the internet as part of a digital revolution that will also require officials to release all non-sensitive publicly owned data whenever possible.

Households will have the right for low- cost and fast broadband connections wherever they live, with transparent pricing and easy switching. Online sellers must pro- vide a digital receipt for all purchases, plus simpler terms and conditions.

Mrs May warns one of the ‘greatest challenges’ is ‘how to respond to the opportunities and threats arising from the advance of digitisation and automation’.

She said: ‘ The internet has brought a wealth of opportunity but also significant new risks which have evolved faster than society’s response. We want social media companies to do more to help redress the balance and will take action to make sure they do.’

But critics will ask whether the planned measures are enough to counter online dangers.

Earlier this month it was revealed Google, Facebook and other web firms will escape the threat of multi-million pound fines for allowing extremist content.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she was ‘not convinced’ fines were the best way to prevent extremists putting videos and documents online.

Facebook has agreed to hire 3,000 staff to police what users post, joining 4,500 already in place.

NOT a moment too soon, the Tories are to pledge a crackdown on social media giants, with stiff fines to protect minors from pornography and ensure offensive material and bullying tweets are taken down.

True, some of the proposals – including the right for users to delete anything posted before they were 18 – need closer examination.

But after David Cameron’s abject fawning over internet tycoons, Mrs May’s determination to bring them to heel is hugely welcome.

These tax-dodging, filth-peddling, terrorabetting purveyors of fake news have been a law unto themselves for far too long.