| Some Parental Controls allow parents to designate | | | | approach that covers areas other than browsing the |
| different levels of access for each child.To help you | | | | internet. These include:* Email Do you really want to |
| better understand how the various parental control | | | | limit email access only to known recipients?* Instant |
| software tools can be used, here are the three main | | | | Messenger Again, kids are the biggest users of ICQ |
| categories of parental control software tools that can | | | | and MSN instant messenger. As long as you keep out |
| help your kids surf the internet safely.1. ISP | | | | the spyware Instant Messenger is not a threat* Chat |
| restrictions.Your ISP can filter out what they consider | | | | rooms A lot of urban mythology about paedophiles |
| unsuitable URL's. The problem here is selectively | | | | and chat rooms. Again the right chat rooms are very |
| changing the level of restriction depending on who is | | | | well used and useful for kids.Remember that you may |
| surfing the internet so it's not easy. AOL have different | | | | change the categories at any time, so you can adjust |
| login's to facilitate this and BT Openworld have their | | | | your children's access to best accommodate their |
| own gateway they you can configure. It does | | | | maturity level or special needs.3. PC activity |
| however work well filtering out child pornography sites | | | | monitoring.This category of software package is |
| that nobody should be able to access. The Internet | | | | typified by Spector Pro, KidsNet, eBlaster, Enuff and |
| Watch foundation have come up with an initiative with | | | | IamBigBrother Typically monitor everything that goes |
| BT known as 'cleanfeed' which stops ISP access to | | | | off on your PC and flags up anything suspicious. This |
| known child pornography sites.2. Parental Control | | | | type of program can really slow down an older |
| Software by URL filtering.This generally covers | | | | specification PC because they have to store every |
| packages such as Cyber Patrol and Net Nanny. Here | | | | keystroke and mouse, movement and browser URL. |
| you install a large lump of usually expensive parental | | | | They often also have the ability to limit access to |
| control software that limits access to sites deemed by | | | | predetermined time slots. Another problem with this |
| the package providers as unsuitable for kids The | | | | type of application is spyware checker sometimes flag |
| problem here is firstly updating the URL list and | | | | them up as potential spyware because they deploy |
| secondly you are dependant on the software | | | | hook technology to intercept keyboard and mouse |
| manufacturer to make the decision. Many free speech | | | | activity. These kinds of products have their place if |
| groups have found profound flaws with this technique | | | | you want to pretend to trust your kids and just |
| such as Peacefire (see Where many political sites, in | | | | confront them with the evidence once the damage |
| particular feminist sites, end up being blacklisted. In | | | | has been done. |
| addition this kind of product tends to take a paranoid | | | | |