There are all sorts of the content found online you probably do not want your child to access. Although the Internet is an exceptional place for looking up information and finding just about anything you might want, the Internet is also a place where anything goes, and it is the easiest spot for anyone to land on material simply not suitable for them. Even if your child is not meaning to access certain information, it is still possible for random Internet searches to load onto the screen or even pop-up windows to take over the monitor. Regardless of what the material is or what sort of content you want to protect your child from, the best course of action for this is through the use of filters. Internet filters do exactly what the name suggests.
The Internet connection runs through the filter and the filter cuts out all of the junk you simply do not want people to see. As a parent, this is one of the most important features you can implement on your child’s Internet-connected device. Of course, as the Internet is not only on computers these days but on smartphones and tablets, you also need to know of Internet filters that go onto equipment such as an iPhone or Android device. This way, no matter where your child goes or what sort of device they use, you can always protect them.
Computer System
There is no limit to the number of Internet filters available for your computer system. Best of all, you never really need to pay for these systems either. Each is available through a download and can be up and running in no time. Some of the very best include K9 Web Protection and Net Nanny. Each of these you can obtain directly from the filter’s particular website (K9WebProtection.com and NetNanny.com). You simply select the particular operating system you have, such as a Windows or Mac, and then download the provided link. Once the content has finished downloading onto your computer system you can open the downloaded file and follow the installation prompts in order to install the programming onto the computer.
These filters have some rather unique tools you can implement onto your computer system. Many of these filter features can block very specific websites. For example, K9 Web Protection has 70 different categories you can check off in order to block. This includes pornography, hate content, gambling, and websites focused on drugs, malware, and phishing information. This material is not only going to protect your child but it is also going to help prevent negative material, such as spyware and malware, from installing onto your computer system. The programming installs a “SafeSearch” feature onto all search engines on the Internet. This way, they are not able to perform an image search and still obtain the negative content. Of course, there are going to be times when you might want to access some of the content you have blocked your child from. When this is the case, you can create a time restriction, which restricts these particular websites during set times of the day. You may also include an override password that can be entered to avoid blocked websites. Other nice features include reports of all websites viewed on the computer, real-time configuration, and the configuration for custom links as well.
iOS
If your child is using an Apple-based product to access the Internet, such as an iPhone, iPad, iPod or any other Apple equipment, the download and installation of the material filter is going to be slightly different than what you might perform on the Internet of your desktop computer. This does not mean you are not able to protect your child. The best way to install a filter is to select the “App Store” icon on the iPhone. From there, you can type in “Internet Filter” into the search field. There are dozens of different options available to you, all of which include a star rating by other users. This might help you select the best program for your particular needs. You will also find that the majority of these applications are free as well. There is no need to pay for a filter on your mobile iOS device. K9 Web Protection is available for iOS devices while there is other material as well, including MobiCip. Select the application option from the App Store and choose to install it. Once you have confirmed this the application begins to download.
After the installation, select the new icon on the screen to load the application. Of course, as your child is going to use the device they are also able to see the application and select it as well. Due to this, when you open it for the first time you are asked to create an account admin and password. However, you do not do this right on the phone but actually over the Internet. So, keep the phone or tablet next to you and navigate to the filter’s website on the computer, then create an account and set the filtering level you want. This might simply prevent certain search features or even block out specific videos through video streaming services such as YouTube. Once you have created the account and selected the filtering features you can return to the application on the phone and log in.
After installing the particular application on the mobile device and setting up the account, you want to test it out for yourself and not simply give it back to your child. Your child, if they have the device with them for a good amount of time, is going to try to get past the filter. This is simply a natural desire for any child. Due to this, you need to choose the different Internet-based applications on the phone and attempt to search for material. You should also try non-specific searches, so although you might have blocked pornography, you can search content that is not specific to porn, such as a phrase, but might be considered part of the industry. This way, you can know if the app is going to stand up against the search features and desires of your child.
Android
The Android aspect is going to work in a similar manner to the iOS option. It does not matter what phone or tablet you are using, if you have the Android operating system, you can protect your phone through a series of different filters. Instead of going to the App Store, you need to open “Google Play,” and then search “Internet Filters” on the search option. This is going to bring up different Internet filters, many of which are the same as the iOS version. You can also look over the user reviews and ratings in order to find one that works best for you. User ratings are one of the very best ways to decide if the application is good or not. Of course, make sure to check the review date, as some reviews might have come before a system update that corrected a problem. Once you have found an application that works for you, choose to install it, and, once the application installs, you are going to follow the same basic process as the iOS option. You need to follow the prompts of the application and most likely go to your computer’s Internet system and set up an account. From there, you just need to create the different filter variations and save them to the device. If you have a tablet, the best way to go about doing this is to create different user accounts. This way, your child is not even able to see the application icon. When using the mobile device on their own and as a phone, this feature usually is not available, so they are still going to see the application, but as long as you set up a username and password they are not able to easily crack, you should have no problem protecting your child from the junk located on the Internet you don’t want them to see.
There are all sorts of material found online you probably do not want your child to access. Thankfully, there are ways to prevent your child from seeing any of this content. All you need is to download one of these available Internet filters onto the device that connects to the Internet (such as a computer system or mobile phone or tablet). Once the filter is activated and primed specifically for you and your child’s needs, you no longer have to worry about what they are viewing on the Internet or if they are running into content that they should not see. Plus, you are always able to receive a detailed report on their Internet usage, so you can see if they are finding a way to bypass the filter or if everything is working and they are not able to access the material.