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.

Mobicip announced that a new version of Mobicip Safe Browser is being reviewed by Apple. Here is what Mobicip says:

“Several users are trying out the new version as part of a limited private beta and giving excellent feedback. Some of them even posted reviews on iTunes.

We have tried really hard to address the critical issues and respond to top requests from our users.

At this time, we are expanding the beta program to all interested Mobicip users. If you can’t wait to get your hands on the next version that includes a lot of the great features that you have been asking for, don’t mind a little bit of hassle in setting it up, and would be happy to pass on your feedback to us, please let us know. Please include the device UDID in your request (instructions below).

- To find your iPod Touch’s UDID, just plug it into your computer and wait until iTunes recognizes it.
- Select your iPod Touch from the Devices list in iTunes.
- Click the “Summary” tab.
- To see your UDID, click on the word “serial number” beside the picture of the iPod Touch.
- You should see the word “identifer” and an alphanumeric string – this is your UDID.
- To copy it, just press command + C on your Mac’s keyboard (or control + C in Windows).
Paste the UDID in your email.”

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

Jennifer Martinez at GigaOm comments on a study conducted by MTV’s Nickelodeon. You can find the original article here, but here is an excerpt. We feel good that we are solving an important problem that parents worry about!

While most kids are using their parents’ iPhones or iPod touches at home, parents are also forking them over while they’re waiting for appointments or sitting in the car. More often than not, kids are using them to play games — a usage for which parents, the study found, are “willing or eager” to pay for. We wonder whether this will cut into the market share of handheld video game devices, such as Nintendo’s DS or Sony’s PSP. More importantly, what’s the appropriate age at which to buy your kids an iPhone or iPod touch of their own? Parents, please weigh in with your thoughts.

Some other interesting facts from the study:

• A whopping 98 percent of parents find the iPod touch kid-friendly, while 84 percent said the same for the iPhone.

• Most parents supervise their kids’ use of the iPod touch and iPhone.

• Parents’ biggest concern with their kids using the iPhone or iPod touch is they may view “inappropriate or unsafe content.”

When talking to several parents, I understand that YouTube is most popular even among their youngest elementary school going kids. Like the saying goes,  ”A picture is worth a thousand words”, a video is worth a million words. To envision anything, for example, a woodpecker bird, the pictures in the books and photographs are not just enough to quench the child’s curiosity.

In the era of YouTube, one could easily search for videos and kids get captivated by the videos that show the life of a woodpecker. This gives the feeling of a field trip without actually going to the zoo or a bird sanctuary.

However, Youtube field trips do require adult supervision. While YouTube has become a popular and fascinating destination for many of today’s tech-savvy parents, finding video appropriate for children is tricky business. We could easily bump into videos that are age inappropriate including pornographic and violent content.  Youtube’s policy prohibits inappropriate content but still some off-color content may show up.

Undoubtedly, watching online video clips is becoming a popular activity and it serves as a platform for children to learn new things. But extreme precautionary steps should be taken by parents to protect them from inappropriate content when online.