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Behind The Mic With Joe Mathieu: The Online Eraser Law

BOSTON (CBS) - I'm guessing we could all use a virtual eraser from time to time. And that's exactly what teenagers in California now have.

They call it the 'Online Eraser' law and it was signed this week by Governor Jerry Brown (D-CA). It gives minors in the state the right to remove videos, pictures and comments they posted on social media sites.

It expands on the federal Children's Online Privacy Protection Act which covers kids under the age of 13.

Facebook and Twitter already allow people to remove content but this law applies the same standard to all sites and apps.

There are critics who say the law is too vague. But it does address a growing problem for a lot of young people because we know most employers look at a person's Internet trail before hiring them.

It's all part of the new reality of getting a job.

A social media monitoring service called Reppler looked into this and found 91-percent of employers use social networking sites to screen job applicants.

And young people are catching on. A separate survey by FindLaw.com finds about three quarters of people 18-to-34 have removed an online posting they think might jeopardize their chances of getting hired someday.

We are told frequently to assume everything we do online lasts forever. Because it will.

And if this law works in California we could see more like it around the country.

Follow Joe on Twitter @joemathieuwbz

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