The Mobile Parent Blog

Google has long allowed parents a SafeSearch filtering setting that keeps kids from using the search engine to find inappropriate sites like those with explicit sexual images or text.

Without additional content filtering solution, the problem was that kids could easily change those settings.

Starting Wednesday, however, the company is allowing parents to lock those settings to make it harder (though not impossible) for kids to bypass the settings.

To change the settings, the parent will have to log into his or her Google account and enter a password. Once the settings have been changed, the Google search engine will change in appearance to indicate that it’s locked. The new page will have large balls in the upper right corner so that parents can see from across the room that their kids are on the safe search page.

The settings, which places a cookie on the machine, must be configured for each browser the child uses. If you set them only for Internet Explorer, for example, they won’t restrict access from Firefox, Chrome, or other browsers. Also, according to a Google representative, the child can get around the settings by using the private browsing feature that is now built into the latest versions of Firefox, Internet Explorer, and Chrome. So, while this will keep kids from accidentally using Google for inappropriate searches, it will not deter tech-savvy kids who are determined to bypass the filters.

Moreover, with the popularity of mobile devices,  children have access to the internet anywhere they go. Parents cannot always monitor their kid’s online experience. While using these devices both inside and outside their homes including public WiFi spots, content filter services like Mobicip keep the children shielded from inappropriate internet content. But this requires responsible parents to understand the benefits of using such filtering services and how it helps them to ensure a safe online experience for their kids.

With all filters and controls, it’s important for parents think about how you use them to help teach your child to exercise self-control and critical thinking so that, eventually, they can safely use the Web without filters or adult supervision.

Mobicip Safe Browser for iPhone and iPod Touch is listed among the top paid applications in Apple iTunes Store. We value our customers’ feedback and we work hard to continuously improve their experience with Mobicip.Mobicip’s latest version is attracting rave reviews from our customers.

Here are some excerpts from the Mobicip reviews on iTunes:

“I can’t recommend this enough to my friends. The app itself is great and they keep rolling out better updates all the time. Remote monitoring is an extra option you purchase from their website, and it is totally worth it. “

” Very well done browser that works exactly like Safari. It gives my kids what they want- access to web- and enough controls for me to monitor what is going on. I personally feel Apple should have built this in to the product. When I called Apple iTunes customer support about this, they repointed me to Mobicip. Thanks for the excellent product.”

“The best I’ve seen so far for the iPhone! Mobicip in my book is a definite “buy”!”

“Great speed and fantastic interface”

“This app is almost like Safari with builtin web filter. My teen used this to make me buy the itouch. I was not so sure, now he’s happy and so am I. “

Mobicip patrons, Thank you for your support and encouraging words. We will continue to make your experience better everyday.

Blurb from an article written by Mobicip CEO , Suren Ramasubbu, for Huffington Post:

Internet filtering and parental control products may not be preferred by every parent. Many parents choose to simply discuss appropriate usage with their children; many others use Internet filtering products as training wheels until they feel confident. While the decision makers who purchase and setup the software are parents or school administrators, the actual end users whose browsing behavior is being monitored are children — a highly targeted demographic for marketers and companies that want to sell products to them.

At Mobicip.com, a parental control and Internet filtering service for the iPhone and iPod Touch, we have stayed away from using data on our user behavior for any purpose, mainly due to the arguably ethical and potential PR issues associated with it. This is not a new controversy.

To read the entire article, visit http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suren-ramasubbu/internet-filtering-softwa_b_287927.html

Parents are a weak link in the chain of defences intended to safeguard children from online sexual predators, says the senior policeman responsible for child protection on the internet.

Too many parents prefer to hide behind technological ignorance rather than engage with advice about how to protect their children from internet threats.

Jim Gamble, head of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), told The Times that parents talked about the need to keep children safe online but did not act on the advice available to them.

To read the full article, go here http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article6823929.ece