( CNN ) -- This week , California again proved itself to be the nation 's bellwether state when Gov . Jerry Brown signed a law that keeps children and teens under the age of 18 from possibly ruining their future with impulsive mistakes they make online . The landmark bill , supported by Common Sense Media , offers protection in two important ways . It requires all websites , online services and mobile apps where a California minor is registered to have an `` eraser button '' that lets children and teens remove information that they posted and should n't have -- giving them a chance to recover after posting information about themselves or others that they regret . It also prohibits websites , online services and mobile apps directed at minors from marketing certain dangerous goods or services . As the recent National Security Agency revelations have made clear , each of us leaves a dense trail of digital footprints online . At long last , concern is growing about protecting everyone 's privacy . But it 's a concern especially for children and teens , who so often reveal before they reflect . Unfortunately , our laws have n't kept up with our technology . The Children 's Online Privacy Protection Act was first enacted in 1998 when Mark Zuckerberg was in grade school . Although recent updates clearly enhance protection for information that websites collect from children under 13 , they do n't apply to teens , who are often more prone to impulsive mistakes . California 's Senate Bill 568 is the first of its kind . At Common Sense Media , we see it as part of a larger national trend . In fact , a similar federal bill , known as the `` Do Not Track Kids Act , '' is expected to be introduced soon . It 's a bipartisan effort led by Sen. Edward Markey and Rep. Joe Barton that includes an eraser button provision . An Allstate/National Journal Heartland Monitor poll released in June found that nine out of 10 Americans believe their personal information is less private than previous generations , and 93 % believe that the next generation will have even less privacy . But kids are waking up . Last year , Common Sense Media published a study that found some young people yearn for the days before sharing everything on social media was commonplace . It even found that digital natives -- those who grew up digital -- actually prefer face-to-face interactions over Facebook . Of course , eight out of 10 teens use social media , according to a Pew study . The only glimmer of hope is that our children realize there 's a cost to having tech giants and intelligence agents compile a detailed profile of them as they are evolving into the people they aspire to be . The explosive growth of digital devices , smartphones and social media is transforming our children 's lives , in school and at home , with teachers , parents , friends and even strangers . Even the youngest are migrating online , using tablets and smartphones , and downloading apps . These new high-tech tools bring a wonderful potential for learning , communicating and creating -- as well as the potential for our children 's personal information to be widely visible . Consider this : By the time they 're 2 , more than 90 % of all American children have an online history . At 5 years old , more than 50 % regularly interact with a computer or tablet device ; and by 7 or 8 , many children have cell phones and regularly play video games . Today 's middle schoolers spend more time with media than with their parents or teachers ; teenagers text an average of 3,000 times a month . Every little bit of data contained in the touch of a keystroke or the press of a `` like '' button contributes to an opus of that child 's life -- often revealing details and drawing conclusions about him or her that could have ramifications for years to come . Children deserve to write their own stories , star in their own movies and discover their own dreams ; they deserve at least a modicum of privacy as they grow and discover their true selves , regardless of what they text or tweet , or where they go on the Internet . But for these positive outcomes to happen , we must confront the privacy challenges in our 24/7 digital world . We need legislation , educational efforts and norms that reflect 21st-century realities to maximize the opportunities and minimize the risks for our youth . Then we will be able to give them the safe , healthy childhood and adolescence they deserve . The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of James Steyer .
California law lets children under the age of two delete online posts they regret . Law : James Steyer protects them from possibly ruining their future with impulsive posts . Children start leaving a big digital , personal footprint from June . Steyer : We need privacy protections for children , who reveal before they reflect .