Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety by… the FBI!

“Dear Parent: Our children are our Nation's most valuable asset. They represent the bright future of our country and hold our hopes for a better Nation. Our children are also the most vulnerable members of society. Protecting our children against the fear of crime and from becoming victims of crime must be a national priority.”

Believe it or not but this paragraph opens the Parent’s Guide to Internet Safety published by no other than the FBI! My journey towards a safer online environment for my kids brought me to this short and interesting guide.

A relatively short document that covers important issues:

• What Are Signs That Your Child Might Be At Risk On-line?
• What Should You Do If You Suspect Your Child Is Communicating With A Sexual Predator On-line?
• What Can You Do To Minimize The Chances Of An On-line Exploiter Victimizing Your Child?

It also includes some FAQs and a glossary for beginners who are afraid to ask.

If you are beginning your research to protect your children’s safety online, it’s a good place to start and I would recommend reading it.

Link: http://www.fbi.gov/publications/pguide/pguidee.htm

Second Stop - Google has a Safe Search Filter

My second stop on the journey to identify solutions for making the Internet a safer place for my kids – and anyone else – to enjoy brought me to the search giant Google. Turns out that Google has a feature that simply screens out from search results adults oriented materials! Now, before you bash me claiming that everybody knows it, I asked three different parents and none of them knew what I was talking about.

Everything online these days starts at Google. Homework, friends, shopping, games… you name it. We do it, our kids do it. We Google first, ask questions later. But a naïve search can bring back horrific results with what is dubbed as adults materials but can actually be anything from brutal to extreme porn or much worth. With Image Search it’s much worth.

And the solution? Google has Preferences that can be saved. Just nest to the search window click on Preferences, scroll down to SafeSearch Filtering and choose between three options:

(1) Moderate Filtering – according to Google, “excludes most explicit images from Google Image Search results but doesn’t filter ordinary web search results”. Note: it filters only images, not the regular textual web search. This option is supposed to be the default, but you should check it out; also – it may not be enough (see results of a test below).

(2) Strict Filtering – well, if you’re strict, this will also filter your regular textual search results.

(3) No Filtering – well, just disables the feature; and this is probably how your Google is actually set and the reason for your kids to learn about… well, things that can wait a little longer.

Direct Link: www.google.com/preferences.

How do I know? The status of the SafeSearch Filter is shown under the search area in the Image Search page (only ON / Off); you can click it to get to the preferences page.

Test Results: I search for images with the word “oops” as the song goes. With No Filtering, I got images of most human organs – mostly female – showing through, behind and without any clothes. With Moderate Filtering I got some accident images, cartoons, one baby with food all over his face, but – the first results were all female organs uncovered, although with more covers than without the filter. With Strict Filtering I got cartoons, the baby with the food, and other slightly funny images; no adults oriented images.

Recommendations? First, know about it – Google has a Safe Search filter. Second, check if it’s off; if so – ask yourself, if I didn’t change it from the default On, who did and why? Third, consider turning the filter on to the level that suites your taste; and then make sure your kids don’t change it.

How do you make sure your kids don’t change the filter settings? That’s a different story. I will look for solutions and post them here…

First Stop for a Safer Web - Beemask

The first stop on my journey to find solutions for a safer web experience was at Beemask (www.beemask.com). To be honest, I’m indirectly related to a team member at Beemask and this is how I got myself invited to their Alpha filed trial.

Beemask provides private calling and their tag line says it all: “Switch to the phone with people you meet online. It’s safe now”. This service allows me to make a phone call and speak with whoever I meet online without exchanging phone numbers or any other personal identifiers. After a call was made, we both keep our privacy strictly protected; and another call is simply impossible without us both asking for it again.

Funny, but during the Alpha trial they didn’t emphasize the other nice fact – it’s free! Yep, no charges whatsoever after a short registration. Mind you, there are a few Google ads at the bottom but I much rather click on those every once in a while to support the free service, than to have to pay for it.

In short, the Beemask solution is exactly what I’m looking for in my journey for a safer web.

When my kids are online they often chat or exchange other kinds of posts with strangers; and believe me, they know they’re not allowed to give away our phone number or to call anyone, but they really want to. If they meet another kid with similar interests, I do want them to feel free to communicate, but of course I’m concerned for their safety. From now on, they know they can only call friends they meet online with Beemask; this way, if they don’t like what they hear, they can hang up and never be bothered again.

By the way, the Beemask team is also targeting daters and love seekers – which is not really for me and my wife – but I think I will use it whenever I get to purchase something on Ebay; why risk my phone number to future telemarketing, if I can protect my contact details and still use the phone? Again, I’m not totally objective, but I truly love this solution.

For more details, visit the Beemask website – www.beemask.com.

And now, I continue my journey to find additional solutions for a safer web.