Choosing a Child Internet Safety Program: Blockers, Filters and Trackers

Concerned parents can choose from many different ways to improve the safety of their children’s online experience. Unfortunately, some may be confused or overwhelmed in the face of so many options. Understanding the terminology used in the discussion of online child protection is a great way to make more informed decisions about the best safety solution for your family.

Most programs will fall into one of three categories: Blockers, filters, or trackers. Knowing what these programs do is a key first step to choosing a child internet safety program that will meet your family’s needs.

Blockers

Some programs are described as “blocking” products, or blockers. Blockers use a list of inappropriate sites and prevents access to the sites on that list. Generally, the program comes with a substantial list of predefined “bad sites” and may add new sites to the list regularly, allowing program purchases to quickly and freely access the updates. Some blocking programs will allow parents to manually add additional sites to the list or to make adjustments to it.

Although a blocker may sound like a perfect solution, it does have shortcomings. The number of objectionable sites grows at a rate far faster than any blocking program producer can maintain. No “blockade” will ever be completely secure.

Filters

Filtering programs block access to individual sites buy using a database of keywords and checking sites against it. They filter out sites their algorithms suspect might contain objectionable material. Parents may be able to adjust the list of objectionable keywords and phrases for enhanced control.

Often, the algorithms used are not particularly refined. A filtering program, for instance, may prevent access to sites that use the word “sex.” That will help to prevent a child from stumbling across adult material, but it could also prevent them from finding perfectly legitimate research materials including phrases such as “the opposite sex.” Children looking for a review of an Inspector Gadget children’s movie may be foiled because an article mentions star Matthew Broderick’s marriage to “Sex and the City” actress Sarah Jessica Parker.

Trackers

Blocking and filtering solutions prevent children from accessing inappropriate information. Monitoring provides parents with the ability to see what children have accessed, when and how. Some programs run silently and surreptitiously in the background while others make their presence known to the user.

A monitoring program won’t keep a child from contacting an inappropriate site, but it will serve as a deterrent from doing so when he or she realizes mom or dad will know exactly which sites they have visited.

Tracking solutions vary in terms of detail and information. Some may merely provide a list of sites visited. Other programs may track time consumption and show parents the route children took when navigating their way to the sites.

Tracking and monitoring programs may go beyond online behavior. The programs may also show parents what else children are doing online and when. Some programs allow parents to “lock” the computer after a certain amount of time or to restrict access to certain periods.

For some families, any one of the solutions may suffice. Others may want to invest in a program that combines elements of all three solutions. There are feature-rich programs available that will block, filter and track behavior simultaneously.

Parents are increasingly concerned about the children’s online well-being. When armed with the right information and an understanding of the various options available to them, they can do a great job choosing a child internet safety program.