Internet Filtering

Rod Gustafson, ParentPreviews.com founder, has written an article about Mobicip's safe browser app on the Parent Previews blog.  Thank you Rod! Here is a link to the original article: http://www.parentpreviews.com/the-big-picture/post/how-do-i-filter-the-internet-on-my-iphone-itouch/

Here is the article:
A while back I noticed there was little in the way of filters parents could use on the iPhone or iTouch—and virtually nothing for other phones that aren’t considered smart phones, yet still have web browsers. However, last week I discovered a company that is offering a replacement web browser for Safari on the iPhone/iTouch.

Apple does have some parental control features built into their portable devices (and I’m assuming the iPad will offer something similar), but these options are still fairly basic. You can only turn certain apps, like Safari, on and off. There is no way to filter the Internet in real time.

Fortunately a company called Mobicip (just don’t ask me how to pronounce it) makes a replacement web browser for iPhone’s Safari that has built in content filtering. What that means is you can purchase their browser (through Apple’s app store for $4.99), install it on your phone and then disable Safari through the parental control features.

I haven’t tested Mobicip, but if one of you gives this a try, please use our comment link at the bottom of this article and tell us about your experience. Another app called “Safe Eyes Mobile” is available through the app store, but it costs $19.99 and doesn’t have very positive reviews. (We have used Safe Eyes for Mac in our home in the past with mixed results—it filters basic content just fine, but was clunky on OS X and is still lacking many essential features that are on the PC version.)

Now let’s hope some solutions for Internet filtering appear for the dozens of other phones out there!

A recent survey publshed by C.S.Mott's Children's Hospital on Children's health reveals that parents are very concerned about internet safety for their kids. 62% of Parents monitor their kids’ internet and 48% use filtering services or tools to protect their kids from inappropriate material and online threat. Among parents with kids on the Internet, nearly 1 in 3 are “very concerned” about online sexual predators, and 1 in 5 are “very concerned” about the loss of privacy and with their children viewing pornographic material.

Parents were asked if they take specific actions to protect or monitor their children’s use of the Internet. Overall, parents report the following actions:

• 65% disable pop-ups

• 62% monitor social networking sites

• 61% check history of websites

• 49% block websites they don’t want kids to use

• 32% use child-safe software

68% of parents report taking 1 to 4 of the above actions, while 19% take all 5 the of the actions listed. However, 13% of parents whose children access the Internet report not taking any of these actions to protect or monitor that use. Although most parents are taking some actions to protect their kids online by using filtering services like Mobicip or similar, some are taking no action and many others may not be certain how effective different strategies are.

There are many resources available for parents to educate themselves about internet safety. Here are a few: www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm

www.wiredsafety.org

www.filteringfacts.org

www.netfamilynews.org

Mobicip was featured in this article on the Huffington Post. Excerpts below.

To read the full article, follow this link.

Here are 10 things parents need to consider before handing an iPhone or iPod Touch to a pre-teen or teen.

1. Protect the Device From Accidents

For all the convenience of a pocket handheld device, the iPod Touch can be broken relatively easily, and the glossy touchscreen can get dirty and scratched quickly. To be on the safe side, buy a hard case with a touch-sensitive screen protector, and a stand. If you have a pool in your backyard, you may want to consider a waterproof case.

2. Discuss Rules

Discuss the ground rules. Where and when can they use it, and what can they use it for. No running around with the device in one hand in the park, that they should be seated while using it, and no browsing late into the night, for instance. In addition, discuss this article with him/her, and explain why you are setting up restrictions. Our recommendation is that you baseline what you agree on, and use it to setup the controls described below.

3. Setup the iTunes Account

The iPhone and iPod Touch can be tied to specific iTunes account on your computer. Setup the account yourself, even if it has your child's username, so that you have control over the iTunes settings on the computer. For instance, you can setup a credit card for purchases from the iTunes Store so that you have fine-grained control over what can be purchased, and also to ensure you are notified upon a purchase.

4. Create a Device Passcode

It is conceivable that you or your child will personalize the iPod Touch with access to your personal email and other social networking apps like Facebook etc. If the device is lost or stolen and ends up in the wrong hands, these accounts can be misused or compromised. For safety, setup a passcode to access the iPod Touch itself, and share this passcode with your child. You can setup a 4-digit passcode by selecting Settings > General > Passcode.

5. Setup Internet Filtering & Web Parental Controls

Decide if you want to allow unfettered access to the Internet. The iPhone and iPod Touch are powerful browsing devices and can be used to access any website that can be accessed from a regular browser on your computer. This is a big departure from the previous generation of cell phones and handheld devices that had limited access to websites that had a customized mobile interface.

Thankfully. Apple has built excellent parental control restrictions for the iPhone and iPod Touch in the latest version of the OS (iPhone OS 3.x and later). As part of these restrictions, you can block access to the Safari Mobile browser and enable a safe browser such as the one offered by Mobicip.com as the default browser for your child. You can setup restrictions by selecting Settings > General > Restrictions and using a 4-digit restrictions passcode. Enable restrictions using a 4-digit restrictions passcode (not to be confused with the device passcode), and DO NOT share this passcode with your child. Do not forget it either, for you will have to jump through hoops to reset it.

The Mobicip Safe Browser offers a safe, secure and protected environment for your tween or teen or learn responsible and safe browsing. To customize the settings and monitor Internet activity through the browser, you can purchase a Mobicip.com Premium subscription.

6. Allow or Disable YouTube?

Depending on the age of your child, you may or may not want to allow access to the built-in YouTube app on the iPhone. While YouTube does a reasonably good job of keeping hardcore content out, kinky stuff does get in and they are fairly easy to come across as part of regular usage. Select Settings > General > Restrictions > YouTube > OFF.

7. Allow or Disable iTunes?

Decide if you want to allow access to iTunes. Not to be confused with iTunes on the computer, iTunes on the device allows the user to access and purchase content directly without going through the computer. You can disable access to iTunes completely by selecting Settings > General > Restrictions > iTunes > OFF.

8. Allow or Disable Third-Party Apps?

Decide if you want to allow your child to install and/or purchase apps from the App Store. You can choose to restrict apps by default, and only allow a purchase with your permission. i.e. when you enter the password. You can do this after you purchase all the apps your child wants, then have him/her come to you when they need an additional app. To disable the installation of third-party apps from the App Store, simply select Settings > General > Restrictions > Installing Apps > OFF.

9. Setup Age-appropriate Filtering for iTunes Content

If you choose to allow temporary or permanent access to iTunes, make sure that you setup age-based restrictions for the content. Select Settings > General > Restrictions > Allowed Content

In App Purchases > OFF

Ratings For > United States

Music & Podcasts > Explicit > OFF

Movies > G

TV Shows > G

10. Setup Age-appropriate Filtering for Apps

If you choose to allow temporary or permanent access to the App Store, make sure that you setup age-based restrictions for the App Store content. Select Settings > General > Restrictions > Allowed Content

In App Purchases > OFF

Apps > 4+