Parental Control
By Marie DAmico
Products and Services To Help Tame the Internet
It's difficult to be a moral monitor nowadays. Video games like Mortal Kombat allow players to yank out a combatant's bleeding heart. Television shows like NYPD Blue saturate the broadcast channels with not only raw language but also raw skin. Howard Stern's radio show lacerates the airwaves turning George Carlin's infamous seven dirty words into an anachronism. To make matters worse, along comes an ungoverned, unregulated, ragtag group of worldwide, networked computers calling themselves the Internet and answering to no one. What's a monitor to do?
If you're concerned about material uploaded, downloaded, or run on your computer, many services and products have popped up on the market to help you become a better cybermonitor. These address access control to the Internet generally either on an exclusive or an inclusive basis. Exclusive products and services block access to Web sites, news groups, chat rooms, and electronic mail from the Internet or commercial online services which are objectionable because they contain adult content or they contain objectionable words, phrases, or subject matter. Inclusive services and products allow access only to sites which have been rated safe for the age of the user, whether a child, teenager, or adult. The drawback of both inclusiveness and exclusiveness lies in the explosive nature of the Internet. The Internet currently contains approximately 20 million Web sites and some estimate more than a million new Web sites are added monthly. Service and product providers must hire a slew of staff in an attempt to monitor and rate this vast content daily, a Herculean task. You, as a user, must also review and update your list of objectionable words, sites, and subjects to keep abreast of the Internet's burgeoning tentacles. The software and services described in this feature should help turn your tough task of cybermonitoring into a simple point-and-click job.
Commercial Online Services
The three major commercial online service providers are America Online ( AOL) , CompuServe , and Prodigy . All three services provide access for their users to the Internet via gateways. Both AOL and Prodigy provide parental control features for free which generally involve blocking access to objectionable sites based upon speech or subject matter. Prodigy, in addition, keeps a log of all sites accessed by users of its service. CompuServe offers CyberPatrol free to their users for one year and Prodigy doesn't charge for CyberPatrol, although users are charged for connection time spent using CyberPatrol.
I have found two Internet service providers oriented towards children, Bess.Net and iscreen! safe-sitter , and more are likely to come onto the market. Bess.Net uses the exclusive approach to cybermonitoring. Bess.Net blocks certain domains, specific Web sites, news groups, and chat areas containing material unsuitable for children. Bess.Net also filters out inappropriate language from Web sites by "X"ing it and monitors both ingoing and outgoing e-mail for adult language. If the text in the e-mail is improper for children, the e-mail is either not sent or delivered. iscreen! safe-sitter , which is currently in beta testing, takes the inclusive approach. iscreen! safe-sitter only allows access to sites which their staff has rated safe for children. iscreen! safe-sitter features 50,000 sites in their beta release and they hope to increase the site count to 750,000 by year's end. Users may browse iscreen!'s online directory of safe sites, called iball!, and jump to them via hyperlinks. Administrators may customize each child's access to iscreen! by specifying the child's age group and they may also limit the total time each child may spend on the Internet per day and/or per week.
Access Control Products For the Home
The access control products currently commercially available for home use operate in the exclusive mode. They either provide a list of inappropriate Web sites, news groups, and chat areas to which they can block access or they expect you to provide such a listing. Some products allow you to edit or customize their supplied list and others do not. Because a static list would only be helpful on the day you purchased the product, most products provide a subscription service. For a monthly or yearly fee, you can receive updates to their objectionable site list. Most product providers permit you to notify them if you find a site with adult content by sending them e-mail or contacting them via their Web sites.
SurfWatch is the simplest access control product but it's gotten the most press play. Both President Clinton and Vice-President Gore singled out SurfWatch as a key contributor to California's efforts to bring schools onto the Internet. SurfWatch comes equipped with a database of inappropriate Web sites, news groups, and chat rooms and users are blocked from these areas. The list is neither editable nor customizable and a log of inappropriate accessed sites is not kept. SurfWatch will be updated in May with the release of SurfWatch Manager, downloadable for free to current users. SurfWatch Manager will permit adding and deleting sites, adding three categories to block (alcohol/drugs, violence/hate, and gambling), and importing lists of safe sites. SurfWatch Manager's features will be incorporated in the new version of SurfWatch due out in the summer. Users are informed of a block by the message Blocked by SurfWatch or an application error message like File not found. If you purchase the maintenance plan, your SurfWatch database will be updated monthly. SurfWatch only monitors and screens direct Internet access; it doesn't work with Internet access achieved via commercial online services like AOL, CompuServe, and Prodigy. You can, however, purchase a CompuServe-customized version with the product Internet in a Box for Kids and SurfWatch Software is working on an AOL-customized version. If you subscribe to AT&T's or Pac Bell's Internet service, you will be able to download a version of SurfWatch for only $19.95.
Net Nanny is also an uncomplicated product. As opposed to providing an exclusive list, Net Nanny places the onus on you to think of inappropriate sites, words, and phrases. With Net Nanny, you define and edit a dictionary of words, phrases, sites, news groups, and/or chat rooms which a user of your computer cannot access but you can start by downloading their editable dictionary from their Web site. For example, you can block information about bombs, drugs, or hate literature by adding those words to your list. You can also prevent applications on your system from being accessed by placing their names into your dictionary. Net Nanny keeps a log of the objectionable dictionary entries which a user has attempted to access. You can configure Net Nanny to shut down an offending application or even shut down the computer. Net Nanny works with direct Internet connections and the major online service providers. Since you can fully edit the dictionary, Net Nanny doesn't provide a subscription service.
CyberPatrol , or as it's known in stores Net Blocker Plus, and CYBERsitter are more full-featured titles. CyberPatrol provides the CyberNOT list of restricted sites, updated weekly via their subscription service, to which you can deny access. You can deny access to additional areas and application programs on your computer by specifying words or categories which you deem inappropriate. Categories in CyberNOT include nudity, gross depictions, racist/ethnic, satanic/cult, drugs & drug culture, and more. Users are informed of a block by the message "Access restricted by CyberPatrol" but a log of sites accessed is not kept. You can also restrict the times of the day and total time per day and per week that a user may spend accessing the Internet. CyberPatrol blocks both direct Internet access and Internet access via major online services. Users of AT&T's WorldNet Internet service can obtain a one month free demo version of CyberPatrol and can purchase it for $29.95, which includes a three-month subscription. Users of CompuServe can obtain CyberPatrol for free for one year and users of Prodigy are not charged for CyberPatrol, although they are billed for time spent using it.
CYBERsitter provides about the same functionality as CyberPatrol and a few more features. CYBERsitter can be set up to censor offensive language with XXXs or alert the owner, unbeknownst to the user, that an activity was attempted, with the date and time. It also can be configured in a stealth mode where the program and its icons are not visible on the computer. The list of inappropriate sites is updated daily and you can download the new file for free when you are connected online, therefore a subscription service isn't needed. If you buy CYBERsitter, you can get a free month of CompuServe and a $15 credit towards future usage.
And for the Workplace
If your business is concerned about employee access to the Internet, both Netscape Communications and Webster Network Strategies have designed Internet corporate control and access products. Netscape's Proxy Server blocks access to a user-specified list of Web sites and improves performance of corporate telecommunications systems by storing frequently accessed pages locally. Webster's WebTrack blocks access to Web sites which contain subject matter falling into any or all of a group of 16 categories provided by WebTrack. It also keeps a log of sites accessed by users for the administrator's review. A modified version of WebTrack equipped with only five customer categories is free to both public and private schools (K-12). Both products cost thousands of dollars and are only UNIX compatible making them appropriate and attractive only to large customer clients.
Safe Web Browsers
KidWeb is a product currently being beta tested which is oriented slightly different from other access control products. KidWeb is a Web browser designed especially for children ages 8-12. The KidWeb home page contains only child-safe sites. The KidWeb parental control feature screens or bans other Internet sites based upon site name, server name, or specific keywords. KidWeb also keeps a log of all Internet servers and pages visited by each user. InterGO is a suite of Internet applications designed for both children and adults and is currently available. InterGO's staff has screened and rated over 500,000 sites as appropriate for different age groups, such as early childhood, kids to adults, teens, mature audiences, and adults only. InterGO permits the program's administrator to set an age range for each user ensuring each user accesses only age-appropriate materials. InterGO includes a filtering system called KinderGuard, but it only works with InterGO's browser. KinderGuard permits access to sites not on the forbidden list and appropriate to the child's age; the list can be edited by parents.
Spry, Inc., makers of the popular Internet in a Box , has joined the access control fray. In late November 1995, they introduced Internet in a Box for Kid s. This product includes Spry's version of the Mosaic Web browser, a version of SurfWatch customized for CompuServe, who recently purchased Spry, and a free subscription to FreeZone , an electronic community designed specifically for children. FreeZone includes a feature which allows children to build their own home pages, a magazine, an electronic pen pal program, and more.
An Analog Solution
All these digital products and services can help you control access to your computer from the Internet. While aids, they are not panaceas. If you are concerned about the use of your computer or your computer system, you should set clearly defined guidelines for such use and monitor the usage yourself. The Internet is a wild, woolly, yet wonderful place, and it would be shameful to have it burned by fear, uncertainty, and doubt. Remember, only you can prevent a user of your computer from playing with matches.
Sidebar A: Online Service Providers
America Online ( AOL ): offers free parental control which permits parents to block children's access to chat rooms and Usenet discussion groups which may contain inappropriate material for children based upon keywords, subject matter, or specific news groups. Once turned on, parental control cannot be turned off without the password. Macintosh and Windows compatible. $9.95/ month for five hours; $2.95/hour for additional hours. America Online, 8619 Westwood Center Dr., Vienna, VA 22182, Phone: (800) 827-6364 or (703) 448-8700. You can download a copy and get 10 free hours from AOL's Web site.
CompuServe : offers one free year of CyberPatrol . DOS, Macintosh, OS/2, and Windows compatible. $9.95/month for five hours; $2.95/hour for additional hours. 5000 Arlington Century Blvd., PO Box 20212, Columbus, OH 43220, Phone: (800) 848-8990, Email: 70006.101@compuserve.com . You can download a copy and get 10 free hours from CompuServe's Web site.
Prodigy : Prodigy's staff monitors and prevents people from posting messages to bulletin boards or chat rooms inappropriate for children. You can monitor and keep a log of all Web sites accessed by users of your account for free. Offers CyberPatrol for free but charges for its connect time. DOS, Macintosh, and Windows compatible. $9.95/month for five hours, $2.95/hour for additional hours, or $29.95/month for 30 hours. Prodigy Information Services, 445 Hamilton Ave., White Plains, NY 10601, Phone: (800) 776-3449, Email: into99a@prodigy.com to order a free copy and 10 free hours.
Sidebar B: Internet Service Providers
Bess.Net (BESS) : an Internet service provider targeted to children. It blocks access to inappropriate areas and monitors and self-updates new sites daily. Macintosh and Windows compatible. Initial setup fee $30; $24.95/month for 50 hours, $.99 per hours over 50. Bess.Net, 1301 5th Ave., Suite 1501, Seattle, WA 98101, Phone: (206) 971-1400, Fax: (206) 224-2890, Email: bess@bess.net.
iscreen! safe-sitter : an Internet service provider, in beta for Windows 3.1, allowing access only to sites oriented towards children based upon the childıs age group. Available for Windows 95 and Macintosh soon with 65,000 safe sites currently in the online directory. When fully available, NewView expects iscreen! to cost $39.95/year for homes with up to five users. Download a free version from their Web site. NewView, Inc., 558 Brewster Ave., Redwood City, CA 94063, Phone: (415) 299-9016, Fax: (415) 299-0522, Email: cji@newview.com.\
Sidebar C: Third Party Products
CyberPatrol : restricts Internet access to certain Web sites, news groups, and chat rooms based upon a provided list and your additional restricted categories. It also can restrict use of specified applications and limit the total time spent online. Macintosh and Windows compatible. $49.95 includes 6 month subscription to blocked site list. Additional 6-month subscription $19.95; one year $29.95. Users of CYBERsitter , Net Nanny , or SurfWatch can purchase CyberPatrol online for $19.95 (with a six-month subscription). Available direct or via the Web from Microsystems Software, Inc., 600 Worcester Rd., Framingham, MA 01701, Phone: (800) 489-2001 or (508) 879-9000, Fax: (508) 626-8515, Email: info@microsys.com.
CYBERsitter : restricts Internet access to known objectionable Web sites, news groups, and chat rooms. It also can restrict objectionable language and use of specified applications. It keeps a log of all sites accessed and updates daily, automatically, and for free, its list of prohibited areas. $39.95, Windows compatible. Available direct or via the web from Solid Oak Software, Inc., PO Box 6826, Santa Barbara, CA 93160, Phone: (800) 388-2761, Fax: (805) 967-1614, Email: info@solidoak.com.
Internet In a Box for Kids : includes Spry's version of the Mosaic Web browser, a free subscription to FreeZone, an electronic community for children, and SurfWatch customized for CompuServe. $49.95 SRP, $29.95 (estimated street price). Windows compatible, Macintosh compatible by 3rd quarter 1996. Spry, Inc., Sterling Plaza 3535, 128th Ave. SE, Bellevue, WA 98006, Phone: (206) 957-8000, Fax: (206) 957-6000.
Net Blocker Plus : retail channel version of CyberPatrol. Windows compatible. $19.95, includes 30 day subscription to blocked site list. Additional 6-month subscription $19.95. MECA Software, 55 Walls Drive, Fairfield, CT 06430-0912, Phone: (800) 288-6322 or (203) 256-5000, Fax: (203) 255-6300. MECA provides a list of store sites where you can purchase this product.
Net Nanny : screens Web sites, news groups, chat rooms, and e-mail for inappropriate content. It also blocks access to applications and contains a log of prohibited, attempted activities. Available direct from a list of North American resellers is contained in their Web site for $49.95 ($6.95 shipping for one copy in North America), or order it directly via the Web for DOS and Windows. You can download an evaluation copy, Net Nanny Lite, from their website. Trove Investment Corporation, 525 Seymour St., Main Floor, Vancouver, B.C. V6B 3H7, Phone: (604) 662-8522, Fax: (604) 662-8525, Email: netnanny@netnanny.com.
SurfWatch : blocks access to objectionable Web sites, news groups, and chat rooms. $49.95, Macintosh and Windows compatible, $5.95 per month or $60 per year for subscription service of inappropriate sites. SurfWatch Software, 175 S. San Antonio Rd., Suite 102, Los Altos, CA 94022, Phone: (415) 948-9500 or (800) 458-6600, Fax: (415) 948-9577, Email: info@surfwatch.com.
Sidebar D: Specialized Web Browsers
ConnectSoft KidWeb , E-Mail for Kids: KidWeb is a Web browser for children ages 8-12 and is in beta testing. It screens out inappropriate material, provides access to approved safe sites, logs sites visited, and provides an easy-to-use Web interface to be released soon. E-Mail for Kids lets children ages 6-10 easily send e-mail while giving parents control over the number of messages sent for $19.95. Windows compatible only. ConnectSoft, Inc. , 11130 NE 33rd Place, Suite 250, Bellevue, WA 98004, Phone: (800) 889-2499, Ext. 100 or (206) 827-6467, Fax: (206) 822-9096, Email: custserv@connectsoft.com.
FreeZone : a monthly subscription site which only contains content for children. $4.95 per month, $23 for six months, or $40 for one year. Available direct or via the Web. Free Range Media, Inc., 117 South Main St., Suite 400, Seattle, WA 98104, Phone: (206) 340-9305 X222, Fax: (206) 340-0509.
InterGO : an Internet access product which includes a Browser and email specifically designed for children. It also filters sites appropriate for different age groups. Windows 95 version available now for $49.95 direct or via the Web, Macintosh version available soon. InterGO Communications, Inc., 903 E. 18th St., Suite 230, Plano, TX 75074, Phone: (800) 285-2662 X3090 (educators only) or (214) 424-7882, Fax: (214) 424-5503, Email: info@intergo.com, Web site. A Windows 95 demonstration version is available for downloading from InterGO's Web site.
Sidebar E: Third Party Products for Corporations
Netscape Proxy Server: blocks access to a user-specified list of Web sites and improves performance of your communications system by storing frequently accessed pages locally. UNIX compatible only, new version in beta. $2,495 $395 if you buy before June 30, 1996 and you receive one year of upgrades free; $995 afterwards includes one year of free upgrades. Netscape Communications, 501 E. Middlefield Rd., Mountain View, CA 94043, Phone: (415) 528-2555, Fax: (415) 528-4140, Email: info@netscape.com.
WebTrack : blocks access to Web sites which contain subject matter falling into any or all of a group of 16 supplied categories and keeps a log of sites accessed for review. $495 to $9,995 for between 1-1000 users, annual control list update $1,500. A modified version, called WebTrack School Edition, with five categories (sex, drugs, hate speech, criminal skills, gambling) is free to public and private schools (K-12). UNIX compatible only. Webster Networks Strategies, 1100 5th Ave. South, Suite 308, Naples, FL 33940, Phone: (800) WNS-0066 or (941) 261-5503, Fax: (941) 261-6549, Email: info@webster.com.
Sidebar F: Read More About It
Family World : a collaboration of more than 40 regional and monthly parenting publications. Family World, Inc., 114 5th Ave., 12th Floor, New York, NY 10011, Phone: (212) Fax: (212) 807-5435, Email: family@family.com.
Proposals for a rating system : Voluntary Internet Self-Rating
Safesurf : proposed rating system for Web sites. Contains a list of sites appropriate for different age groups and provides a monthly newsletter.
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