Teens get online 'eraser button' to delete unwanted messages under new California law

California has passed a new law that allows teenagers to delete online messages that could become digital skeletons for them.

The law requires Internet service firms, including Facebook, Twitter and Google, to allow minors to erase online messages.

According to the New York Daily News, the 'eraser' mandate, signed by Governor Jerry Brown, has been hailed as the first of its kind in the U.S., and comes into effect in 2015.

Twitter is also affected by the new California law that allows teens to take down Internet information they wish they had not been posted.

Supporters of the law said that the measure protects impulsive teenagers from being haunted by saying things online they wished they hadn't.

According to the law, Internet companies are required, when asked, to remove information from its web sites, but not its servers.

The measure also bans advertising for items minors are not allowed to possess, such as guns and liquor, on the social media pages of underage users, the report said.

The Center for Democracy and Technology, based in Washington, claims the measure was overly complicated and could unfairly limit teens' access to the Internet, it added.