EUROPEAN TECHNOLOGY Parents Are Given a Tool To Limit Internet Access
May 04, 2011
THESE DAYS parental control also means computer literacy. It used to be that parents kept their children in check by demanding report cards or driving them to teenage parties. Lately, however, moms and dads also need to have keyboard access to maintain supervision. As the Internet continues to grow, more offensive material is finding its way to the cyberwaves. In addition to worry about their children's access to pornographic material, there also are Internet sites that spout racial hatred or teach illegal activities. In response, software companies have created censoring software that will allow parents to restrict and monitor their children's on-line activities. Programs Cyber Patrol, Microsystems Software CyberSitter, Solid Oak Software NetNanny, NetNanny SurfWatch, SurfWatch Software X-Stop, Log-On Data Corp. (714) 577-4929. The software manufacturers are stepping in to do a job that governments have had only moderate success enforcing. Last December, the Bavarian police shut down CompuServe and launched an investigation as to whether access to some of its sites violated German child pornography laws. For the company to begin operations again, it had to develop software that blocked access to some 200 sex-oriented newsgroups in a portion of the Internet called Usenet. The German government, however, came under intense fire for the move, and has since been reluctant to pursue other companies. IN THE U.S., the Communications Decency Act -- a measure that would have imposed fines and prison terms on people who disseminate ``indecent'' material over the network -- was ruled unconstitutional in June by a federal court. This means that -- at least in the U.S. -- only laws against child pornography and communications continue to apply to the Internet. While the software does a sweeping job of blocking even mildly offensive material on the Internet, it has drawbacks. Parents should bear in mind that using a censorship package involves tradeoffs. Computer programs aren't yet intelligent enough to read words for context, and prefer to err on the side of safety -- the programs block out any words that might lead to offensive sites. This means that often children will be kept from sites that contain sensible information, discussions or presentations on serious subjects, because those topic include ``iffy'' words. For example, children would be screened from topics on breast cancer or gun control. Internet service providers, worried about being sued for the content that crosses their lines, aren't taking any chances, and most have begun to offer a censorship program as part of their basic package. However, as censorship packages vary widely -- each toting little perks and additions -- you might find it best to shop around to find one that best suits your family's needs. NEARLY ALL the programs are beginning to offer two main features. The first is the ability to limit the time a child spends on the Internet. The second is a blocking mechanism that keeps children from accessing certain sites. Parents should check to make sure that the package not only blocks access to World Wide Web sites, but also to chat rooms, newsgroups and gopher, too. The packages vary in how they go about blocking sites. To begin with, nearly all have a list of preprogrammed ``bad'' sites that are automatically blocked. The companies that produce the software employ legions of bored college students to troll the Internet looking for offensive sites to add to the list. Software owners can go to the company's Internet site and download these updates. Some of these packages, such as CyberPatrol, give parents the power to change the software to block sites they don't want their children to see or to allow access to sites that CyberPatrol would normally block. As well, many censorship software packages tell a computer to ignore commands from a child that involve certain obscene keywords. Some new programs, such as X-Stop, also control what information is sent from the user's computer. The software contains a list of preprogrammed ``bad'' words and if a child tries typing one of the words on the list -- for example in an e-mail -- the computer will shut down. Parents can add home telephone numbers or a child's name to the list of ``bad'' words, therefore keeping children from giving out personal information over chat rooms or newsgroups. In nearly all cases, the software can be downloaded from the company's Web site and can be sued for a trial period, usually 30 days. Beyond that, the companies will charge $20 to $50 for a package and give customers the option of paying about $5 a month for updates of offensive sites. Almost all the programs are available for IBM-compatible and Macintosh computers. Each program requires a password and is fairly invincible so long as the child doesn't know the password. If computer users access the Internet through a proprietary on-line service, such as CompuServe or America Online, they should first consult these companies about screening software, because many outside censorship programs aren't compatible with these services. And as if that weren't enough, most companies have thrown in one last facility ensured to make millions of young enemies across the globe. Nearly every program has a facility that logs a session. Not only can parents see what a child did access, they can also see what a child tried to access. Unless children get smarter, childhood could become a pretty boring state. Missy Peel can be e-mailed at Kim.Strassel@dial.pipex.com.
