UK plans to strengthen online 'right to be forgotten'

Britain plans to strengthen the online "right to be forgotten" with a law making social media companies delete personal information on request.

The government today published details of a Data Protection Bill, including a provision allowing people to ask for personal data held by companies to be erased.

The changes also would make it easier for people to find out what data companies or organizations hold on them, and would ban firms from collecting personal information without explicit consent.

The proposed law gives a regulator power to levy fines of up to 17 million pounds (USD 22 million) on firms that fail to comply.
 

The bill is intended to replace European Union privacy protections when Britain leaves the bloc in 2019. It must be approved by Parliament to become law.