Parental controls
Encyclopedia
Parental controls are features which may be included in digital television
services, computer and video games, mobile phone
s and computer software
. Parental controls fall into roughly four categories, content filters
, which limit access to age appropriate
content, usage controls, which constrain the usage of these devices such as placing time-limits on usage or forbidding certain types of usage, computer usage management tools
, which allow parents to enforce learning time into child computing time, and monitoring
, which can track location and activity when using the devices.
Content filters were the first popular type of parental controls to limit access to Internet content. Also television stations began introducing V-Chip
technology to limit access to television content. Controls are now being applied to content ranging from explicit songs to objectionable movies available for purchase online. Usage controls are increasing in sophistication; examples include turning devices off during specific times of day, limiting the volume of the music playing in the car, and with GPS technology becoming affordable, it is now possible to know where a child is at curfew.
Techniques involving a proxy server
are also used. A web browser is set to send requests for web content to the proxy server rather than directly to the web server intended. The proxy server then fetches the web page from the web server on the web browser's behalf and passes on the content to the browser. Proxy servers can inspect the data being sent and received and intervene depending on various criteria relating to content of the page or the URL being requested, for example, using a database of banned words or banned URLs. The proxy method's major disadvantage is that it requires that the client application to be configured to utilize the proxy, and if it is possible for the user to reconfigure applications to access the Internet directly rather than going through the proxy then this control is easily bypassed. Proxy servers themselves may be used to circumvent parental controls. There are other techniques used to bypass parental controls.
Computer usage management method, unlike content filters, is focused on empowering the parents to balance the computing environment for children by regulating gaming. The main idea of these applications is to allow parents to enforce learning component into the computing time of children, where children must earn gaming time while working through educational contents.
Mobile phone software from My Mobile Watchdog enables parents to restrict which applications their child can access while also allowing parents to monitor text messages, phone logs, MMS pictures, and other transactions occurring on their child's mobile phone.
Lockster app enables parents to set time limit on the usage of mobile phones.
Myfone.mobi provide free information on the dangers of mobile phone use by children. Topics include Phone Bullying, Sexting, Grooming and other inappropriate behaviour. Software from Myfone.mobi allows parents to track the exact location of their children every 15 minutes as well as monitor calls in and out and the content of texts in and out.
. Parents can block the icons for some apps, block access to the Internet or YouTube
, and restrict the apps and movies that may be downloaded.
is configured to disallow booting from removable media, and if changes to the BIOS are prohibited without proper authentication, then this approach is not available.
Another technique involves using external proxy servers or other servers. The user sends requests to the external server which retrieves content on the user's behalf. Filtering software may then never be able to know which URLs the user is accessing, as all communications are with the one external server and filtering software never sees any communications with the web servers from which content really originated. To counter this, filtering software may also block access to popular proxies. Additionally, filtering systems which only permit access to a set of allowed URLs will not permit access anything outside this list, including proxy servers.
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
services, computer and video games, mobile phone
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
s and computer software
Computer software
Computer software, or just software, is a collection of computer programs and related data that provide the instructions for telling a computer what to do and how to do it....
. Parental controls fall into roughly four categories, content filters
Content-control software
Content-control software, also known as censorware or web filtering software, is a term for software designed and optimized for controlling what content is permitted to a reader, especially when it is used to restrict material delivered over the Web...
, which limit access to age appropriate
Age appropriate
Age appropriate refers to a developmental concept whereby certain activities may be deemed appropriate or inappropriate to a child's "stage" or level of development....
content, usage controls, which constrain the usage of these devices such as placing time-limits on usage or forbidding certain types of usage, computer usage management tools
Computer Usage Company
Computer Usage Company , sometimes called Computer Usage Corporation, was the first independent company to market computer software.-History:...
, which allow parents to enforce learning time into child computing time, and monitoring
Monitoring
To monitor or monitoring generally means to be aware of the state of a system. Below are specific examples:* to observe a situation for any changes which may occur over time, using a monitor or measuring device of some sort:...
, which can track location and activity when using the devices.
Content filters were the first popular type of parental controls to limit access to Internet content. Also television stations began introducing V-Chip
V-chip
V-chip is a generic term for technology used in television set receivers in the USA, Canada, and Brazil which allows the blocking of programs based on their ratings category. It is intended for use by parents to manage their children's television viewing...
technology to limit access to television content. Controls are now being applied to content ranging from explicit songs to objectionable movies available for purchase online. Usage controls are increasing in sophistication; examples include turning devices off during specific times of day, limiting the volume of the music playing in the car, and with GPS technology becoming affordable, it is now possible to know where a child is at curfew.
Overview
Several techniques exist aimed at creating parental controls for blocking websites. Add-on parental control software may monitor API in order to observe applications such as a web browser or Internet chat application and to intervene according to certain criteria, such as a match in a database of banned words. Virtually all parental control software includes a password or other form of authentication to prevent unauthorised users from disabling it.Techniques involving a proxy server
Proxy server
In computer networks, a proxy server is a server that acts as an intermediary for requests from clients seeking resources from other servers. A client connects to the proxy server, requesting some service, such as a file, connection, web page, or other resource available from a different server...
are also used. A web browser is set to send requests for web content to the proxy server rather than directly to the web server intended. The proxy server then fetches the web page from the web server on the web browser's behalf and passes on the content to the browser. Proxy servers can inspect the data being sent and received and intervene depending on various criteria relating to content of the page or the URL being requested, for example, using a database of banned words or banned URLs. The proxy method's major disadvantage is that it requires that the client application to be configured to utilize the proxy, and if it is possible for the user to reconfigure applications to access the Internet directly rather than going through the proxy then this control is easily bypassed. Proxy servers themselves may be used to circumvent parental controls. There are other techniques used to bypass parental controls.
Computer usage management method, unlike content filters, is focused on empowering the parents to balance the computing environment for children by regulating gaming. The main idea of these applications is to allow parents to enforce learning component into the computing time of children, where children must earn gaming time while working through educational contents.
Parental controls on mobile phones
The increased use of mobile phones that include full featured internet browsers and downloadable applications has created a demand for parental controls on these mobile, smart handhelds. In November 2007, Verizon was the first carrier to offer age-appropriate content filters as well as the first to offer content-generic content filters recognizing that mobile phones were used to access all manner of content from movies and music to short-code programs and websites. In June 2009, on the iPhone OS version 3.0, Apple Computer was the first mobile device company to provide a built in mechanism on iPhone and iPod Touch devices to create age brackets for users that would block unwanted applications from being downloaded to the device. The introduction of a safe mobile web browser, called Surfbalance Kids browser for iPhone in June 2009, filled a need for parental web controls in the mobile phone arena.Mobile phone software from My Mobile Watchdog enables parents to restrict which applications their child can access while also allowing parents to monitor text messages, phone logs, MMS pictures, and other transactions occurring on their child's mobile phone.
Lockster app enables parents to set time limit on the usage of mobile phones.
Myfone.mobi provide free information on the dangers of mobile phone use by children. Topics include Phone Bullying, Sexting, Grooming and other inappropriate behaviour. Software from Myfone.mobi allows parents to track the exact location of their children every 15 minutes as well as monitor calls in and out and the content of texts in and out.
Parental controls on the iPod Touch
There are also parental controls on the iPod TouchIPod Touch
The iPod Touch is a portable media player, personal digital assistant, handheld game console, and Wi-Fi mobile device designed and marketed by Apple Inc. The iPod Touch adds the multi-touch graphical user interface to the iPod line...
. Parents can block the icons for some apps, block access to the Internet or YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
, and restrict the apps and movies that may be downloaded.
Commonly used methods to bypass parental controls
Several methods of bypassing parental controls are commonly used. If the filtering software is located locally within the computer, all Internet software can be easily bypassed by booting up the computer in question from alternative media or with an alternative operating system. However, if the computer's BIOSBIOS
In IBM PC compatible computers, the basic input/output system , also known as the System BIOS or ROM BIOS , is a de facto standard defining a firmware interface....
is configured to disallow booting from removable media, and if changes to the BIOS are prohibited without proper authentication, then this approach is not available.
Another technique involves using external proxy servers or other servers. The user sends requests to the external server which retrieves content on the user's behalf. Filtering software may then never be able to know which URLs the user is accessing, as all communications are with the one external server and filtering software never sees any communications with the web servers from which content really originated. To counter this, filtering software may also block access to popular proxies. Additionally, filtering systems which only permit access to a set of allowed URLs will not permit access anything outside this list, including proxy servers.
Criticisms of parental controls
An argument that is present is that: children will get access to questionable content, either through friends or by cracking the software. Parenting organizations feel, especially with older children and adolescents, that the best way to keep kids from viewing questionable content is by teaching kids about the hazards of viewing such content.Video game systems that have used parental controls
Listed in chronological order- PlayStation 3PlayStation 3The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
- PlayStation 2PlayStation 2The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
(only for DVDs) - PlayStation PortablePlayStation PortableThe is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
- XboxXboxThe Xbox is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Microsoft. It was released on November 15, 2001 in North America, February 22, 2002 in Japan, and March 14, 2002 in Australia and Europe and is the predecessor to the Xbox 360. It was Microsoft's first foray into the gaming console...
- Xbox 360Xbox 360The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
- WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
- Nintendo DSiNintendo DSiThe is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable...
- Nintendo 3DSNintendo 3DSThe is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
Operating systems with parental controls
Below is a list of operating systems which currently have parental control features:- Mac OS XMac OS XMac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
(10.3-10.7) - Windows VistaWindows VistaWindows Vista is an operating system released in several variations developed by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptops, tablet PCs, and media center PCs...
- Windows 7
- Mandriva LinuxMandriva LinuxMandriva Linux is a Linux distribution distributed by Mandriva. It uses the RPM Package Manager...
(via drakguard) - LinuxLinuxLinux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
using DansGuardianDansGuardianDansGuardian, written by SmoothWall Ltd and others, is content-control software: software designed to control which websites users can access. It also includes virus filtering and usage monitoring features...
either on the machine or, with Windows or Mac machines, as a server/proxy.
Tools for parents for social networking sites
There are tools available for parents to monitor their children's activities within social networking sites.TV channel blocker
The TV channel blocker (TVCB) is a parental control add-on unit can be mounted at the tap output or at the consumer's residence of their television, it can allow parents to block unwanted cable channels from your cable lineup or antenna reception. Block as many analog cable channels as you would like from channel 2 through channel, a padlock can be added to block from changing the settings. It also includes the TV Timer bob and will allow to block out certain channels during certain times of the day. The device can only be ordered onlineSee also
- Content-control softwareContent-control softwareContent-control software, also known as censorware or web filtering software, is a term for software designed and optimized for controlling what content is permitted to a reader, especially when it is used to restrict material delivered over the Web...
- David BurtDavid Burt (filtering advocate)David Burt is a former librarian and a long time advocate for content-control software. Burt's research on Internet filtering and the problems allegedly associated with unfiltered Internet access have been cited by both the United States Congress and the Supreme Court of the United States in...
- Internet censorshipInternet censorshipInternet censorship is the control or suppression of the publishing of, or access to information on the Internet. It may be carried out by governments or by private organizations either at the behest of government or on their own initiative...
- Motion picture rating systemMotion picture rating systemA motion picture rating system is designated to classify films with regard to suitability for audiences in terms of issues such as sex, violence, substance abuse, profanity, impudence or other types of mature content...
- Television rating systemTelevision rating systemTelevision content rating systems give viewers an idea of the suitability of a television program for children or adults. Many countries have their own television rating system and each country's rating process may differ due to local priorities...
- V-ChipV-chipV-chip is a generic term for technology used in television set receivers in the USA, Canada, and Brazil which allows the blocking of programs based on their ratings category. It is intended for use by parents to manage their children's television viewing...
- Videogame Rating CouncilVideogame Rating CouncilThe Videogame Rating Council was introduced by Sega of America in 1993 to rate all video games that were released for sale in the United States on the Sega Genesis, Sega Game Gear, Sega CD, and rarely, some computer games...
External links
- Cable Providers and Parental Controls
- Deal of the Day: New Technology to Keep Track of Your Kids, by Kelli B. Grant, SmartMoney, 16 Mar 2007
- Windows 7 Parental Controls Setup
- An FBI report about child Internet safety
- Text message lingo
- A number of Corporate Sites on Parental Controls: Parental Control Tools Education site, Use of parental controls on iPhone mobile deviceParental Controlled Browser and Social Network
- An Open Source project: mTime at SourceForge
- Information & Advice for Parents and Teachers: Threat overviews & Control software download links