Do Web filters protect your child?

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experts say they work best when combined with involved parenting. That means parents should talk to children about their online activities, set limits and check up on them.

Choosing a filter that won't falter

Here are some tips from ConsumerReports.org.

Consider your Internet provider. Filtering comes free with AOL, EarthLink or MSN. AOL and MSN both filtered effectively, but AOL blocked sites such as NewsMax, a conservative political site, and Operation Truth, an advocacy site for Iraq War veterans. In both cases, a parent could override the block.

Weigh protection versus interference. All filtering programs either overblock or underblock. For young children, look for maximum protection. For older children, look for filtering software that doesn't overly interfere.

Consider which activities to control. Older children are more likely to engage in activities such as e-mail, instant messaging and gaming. Time-management controls help minimize fighting for the computer.

Decide how much customization you need. If your children aren't close in age, consider a program that can be customized by age. Those that offer more filtering flexibility make fine-tuning easier but may not offer the best protection.

Whichever filter you choose, give your children clear directions on how, when and where they can access the Internet.

"They're not a substitute for parenting," said Danielle Yates, a spokeswoman for the Internet Education Foundation, publisher of GetNetWise.com, an online guide to Internet safety for children and teens. "They're there to help parents when parents can't always be around, but they can't take parents' place. Parents really need to be involved."

To be sure, circumventing filters is not rocket science. Teens can find work-arounds through a simple Google search, which can turn up detailed instructions and pointers for sidestepping filters.

For instance, a Google search for "NetNanny hack" yields a result for Cexx.org, "How to Disable Internet Filtering Programs." NetNanny, made by Anonymizer, is a popular brand of filter.

Proxy sites are another tool for thwarting filters. Browser proxies, such as IPZap.com and IBYPass.org, let people type in an address, and then they redirect all responses from the blocked domain through the proxy's domain. Many filtering companies have wised up to proxy sites and now block access to those sites too. For example, CyberPatrol, which is owned by SurfControl, will categorize browser proxy sites and prevent children from accessing them.

Bennett Haselton, a programmer in Seattle, is one of the many free speech activists in a kind of cat-and-mouse game with filtering companies. Through his site, Peacefire.org, he distributes a free download that lets Web users turn their desktop computers into Web proxies that fly under the radar of filter programs. Users can invite friends with computers protected by filters to use their machines to override the protections.

He launched the program, which takes just minutes to set up, more than two years ago and said visitors download about two dozen copies a day. Haselton, who is concerned about Internet censorship in China and elsewhere, believes concerns about children and Internet porn are overblown.

"I never met anyone who was harmed by having unfettered Internet access," he said. "But I've met plenty of people who have been harmed by being overprotected. The real harm is the harm to critical thinking."

Clearly, a determined teen or child can outsmart a Web filter, but most don't want to, said Lenhardt at the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

"Most kids want to be protected," she said. "A lot of exposure to undesirable material is by accident. Most kids don't want to see it, so most aren't going to be trying to circumvent the protections."

Nonetheless, filtering companies have their hands full trying to handle an exploding amount of content, including video, that's circulating online, Lenhardt said. In addition, they're grappling with new kinds of devices that connect people to the Web, like video iPods and Internet-capable cell phones and handhelds. Web filters could also do a better job of ensuring access to benign material, such as health information, exerts say.

Filter companies say they're up for the challenge. Bob Kessinger, director of operations for CyberPatrol, is emphatic that technology is the answer for shielding children from adult material online.

"Many of the adult sites out there, the content is not hosted in this country; it's a global issue," Kessinger said. "I'm not sure legislation is going to have an effect on that."

[rcrusoe]

Take responsibility for your children

Some filters are better than others, but the best solution for protecting children online is parental supervision.

Don't let your child have a computer in their room, put it in a public area in your home. Teach them how to avoid the dark/dangerous areas of the net, and only allow them to use the computer when a parent or guardian is at home.

If you don't know how to do the above - Learn.

The government is good at some things. Controlling content on the Internet, a global entity mostly outside the reach of U.S. laws, is not one of them.

[kevinspammons]

I Could Not Agree More

Hear hear! I also find it so hypocritical that the Republicans, the supposed party of eliminating government interference and promoting individual responsibility, would so enthusiastically suppport such a policy. But, then again, considering how they get most of their campaign money from people who think the world is going to come to an end if a kid sees a pair of hooters, I guess I'm not surprised.

[rcrusoe]

Take responsibility for your children

Some filters are better than others, but the best solution for protecting children online is parental supervision.

Don't let your child have a computer in their room, put it in a public area in your home. Teach them how to avoid the dark/dangerous areas of the net, and only allow them to use the computer when a parent or guardian is at home.

If you don't know how to do the above - Learn.

The government is good at some things. Controlling content on the Internet, a global entity mostly outside the reach of U.S. laws, is not one of them.

[kevinspammons]

I Could Not Agree More

Hear hear! I also find it so hypocritical that the Republicans, the supposed party of eliminating government interference and promoting individual responsibility, would so enthusiastically suppport such a policy. But, then again, considering how they get most of their campaign money from people who think the world is going to come to an end if a kid sees a pair of hooters, I guess I'm not surprised.

[Mutex]

Quite frankly,

Who cares? Like the guy said, who's ever been permanently harmed by accidently coming across porn when they were young?

[David Arbogast]

Children

Young children can be harmed by adult content. You don't have to agree, you just have to respect the opinion of parents, who want to decide how and when to introduce the subject to their developing children. In *most* cases, adult media does NOT accurately reflect reality... making this a child's first exposure to the "adult" world can create a warped sense of reality.

[Mutex]

Quite frankly,

Who cares? Like the guy said, who's ever been permanently harmed by accidently coming across porn when they were young?

[David Arbogast]

Children

Young children can be harmed by adult content. You don't have to agree, you just have to respect the opinion of parents, who want to decide how and when to introduce the subject to their developing children. In *most* cases, adult media does NOT accurately reflect reality... making this a child's first exposure to the "adult" world can create a warped sense of reality.

[bemenaker]

The Government is smoke screening

The government's intent here is not just limiting the access of pornography to kids. If that was their intent they would be taking a totally different approach on this subject. The current administration is trying to launch an outright attack on pornography in general.

If the government really wanted to make pornography easy to filter out so that you could simply protect you kids, they would not have opposed the .xxx high level domain. In fact, they would have embraced it, and put a caveat in there that all pornography MUST be in the .xxx domain.

The government refusing to accept and embrace the .xxx domain shows that they have no interest in actually working to rectify the problem, and allow pornography on the internet, and make an easy way to filter it out for kids. This tatic shows that they have one intent, and one intent only, to remove pornography from the internet. (Like that is possible)

[Mutex]

One question,

Why?

Also, surely children accessing images of violence is going to harm them a lot more.

[David Arbogast]

Foolish Theory

<<The current administration is trying to launch an outright attack on pornography in general. >>

Another foolish left-wing conspiracy theory. Your xxx domain example is just horrible. The government knows that publishing content under .com, .net, .org, etc, is a right, and they did not interfere with the industry's ability to publish content under any domain they choose. You see, they were PROTECTING the rights of the adult entertainment industry. You really have it backwards.

And now, they are doing a STUDY to determine which methods best accomplish the goal of upholding the adult-content distribution problem, and they were careful to ask for data that would not violate any person's rights.

The governmetn is working to address everybody's concerns in this matter while protecting our freedoms. Your loony conspiracy theory is... just that. Loony.

[DannyJock]

What about respecting the feelings of religous people?

What about the fact that I cannot walk into a petrol station or supermarket (In the UK)without being tempted to look at those pics. If you are going to allow porn(which I personally see as much much worse than legalizing drugs)atleast keep it in the news agents but not where
I have to buy my essentials because it infringes on my rights as not respecting me being a religous person. The same applies to putting pictures on cosmetic products which show partial nudity or billboard adverts. In other words freedom and respect go hand in hand. Otherwise you have anarchy. What I am saying is consider the feelings of religous people as well even if you may not have the same beliefs as them.That is what a multicultural society and democracy is all about.

[bemenaker]

The Government is smoke screening

The government's intent here is not just limiting the access of pornography to kids. If that was their intent they would be taking a totally different approach on this subject. The current administration is trying to launch an outright attack on pornography in general.

If the government really wanted to make pornography easy to filter out so that you could simply protect you kids, they would not have opposed the .xxx high level domain. In fact, they would have embraced it, and put a caveat in there that all pornography MUST be in the .xxx domain.

The government refusing to accept and embrace the .xxx domain shows that they have no interest in actually working to rectify the problem, and allow pornography on the internet, and make an easy way to filter it out for kids. This tatic shows that they have one intent, and one intent only, to remove pornography from the internet. (Like that is possible)

[Mutex]

One question,

Why?

Also, surely children accessing images of violence is going to harm them a lot more.

[David Arbogast]

Foolish Theory

<<The current administration is trying to launch an outright attack on pornography in general. >>

Another foolish left-wing conspiracy theory. Your xxx domain example is just horrible. The government knows that publishing content under .com, .net, .org, etc, is a right, and they did not interfere with the industry's ability to publish content under any domain they choose. You see, they were PROTECTING the rights of the adult entertainment industry. You really have it backwards.

And now, they are doing a STUDY to determine which methods best accomplish the goal of upholding the adult-content distribution problem, and they were careful to ask for data that would not violate any person's rights.

The governmetn is working to address everybody's concerns in this matter while protecting our freedoms. Your loony conspiracy theory is... just that. Loony.

[DannyJock]

What about respecting the feelings of religous people?

What about the fact that I cannot walk into a petrol station or supermarket (In the UK)without being tempted to look at those pics. If you are going to allow porn(which I personally see as much much worse than legalizing drugs)atleast keep it in the news agents but not where
I have to buy my essentials because it infringes on my rights as not respecting me being a religous person. The same applies to putting pictures on cosmetic products which show partial nudity or billboard adverts. In other words freedom and respect go hand in hand. Otherwise you have anarchy. What I am saying is consider the feelings of religous people as well even if you may not have the same beliefs as them.That is what a multicultural society and democracy is all about.

[Erik the Beige]

This is incredibly easy to fix

This problem has such an easy fix I'm not in the least bit surprised someone hasn't thought of it.
The .XXX domain name. Get it going. If a site is to be pornographic, it MUST be labeled with .XXX domains. Then, to block porn, simply block all .XXX domains.
If someone is caught hosting/making a pornographic site that is not .XXX, then massive fines and jail/prison time occurs.
This can't be that hard to figure out. And I'm sure other countries will jump on this idea. It can also be applied to gambling sites (.GAM) or... ok, now I'm drawing a blank as to what other sites people want to block. But there is no reason this simple idea won't work... other than it being too easy for any government to catch on to.

[VI Joker]

Only if a question is answered

Just one question. Who determines what is porn? Until you get everyone to agree on what is porn and what is not the .xxx domain will not work.

[cryhavoc2112]

Easy in Thoery, Difficult in Real Implementation

I am in agreeance with the statement of this proposed fix. However, getting even our own country to conform to the proposed separation has proved quite difficult. And who makes the classification and what is that criteria? Do sex education sites get .xxx tags? What agency would govern that and what recourse do sites that feel they have improperly been labeled have? What about forums and newsgroups? "Inappropriate content" can be classified as more than just a porn site, including text as well as media.

My point here is that it takes active monitoring, and there is no infrastructure in place at this time to do so outside of filtering applications.

[David Arbogast]

Will NOT work.

First, how do you enforce this rule around the world??

Secondly, you are proposing to take away a freedom/right... A company can buy whatever unclaimed domain they can think up... and publish the content that they choose to publish. This is a freedom. Now you want to tell everybody in the country what domain extensions they must use, and what content belongs under which domain extension... never going to work. How do you police THAT?? Subpeona more records from Google, I suppose........

[Erik the Beige]

This is incredibly easy to fix

This problem has such an easy fix I'm not in the least bit surprised someone hasn't thought of it.
The .XXX domain name. Get it going. If a site is to be pornographic, it MUST be labeled with .XXX domains. Then, to block porn, simply block all .XXX domains.
If someone is caught hosting/making a pornographic site that is not .XXX, then massive fines and jail/prison time occurs.
This can't be that hard to figure out. And I'm sure other countries will jump on this idea. It can also be applied to gambling sites (.GAM) or... ok, now I'm drawing a blank as to what other sites people want to block. But there is no reason this simple idea won't work... other than it being too easy for any government to catch on to.

[VI Joker]

Only if a question is answered

Just one question. Who determines what is porn? Until you get everyone to agree on what is porn and what is not the .xxx domain will not work.

[cryhavoc2112]

Easy in Thoery, Difficult in Real Implementation

I am in agreeance with the statement of this proposed fix. However, getting even our own country to conform to the proposed separation has proved quite difficult. And who makes the classification and what is that criteria? Do sex education sites get .xxx tags? What agency would govern that and what recourse do sites that feel they have improperly been labeled have? What about forums and newsgroups? "Inappropriate content" can be classified as more than just a porn site, including text as well as media.

My point here is that it takes active monitoring, and there is no infrastructure in place at this time to do so outside of filtering applications.

[David Arbogast]

Will NOT work.

First, how do you enforce this rule around the world??

Secondly, you are proposing to take away a freedom/right... A company can buy whatever unclaimed domain they can think up... and publish the content that they choose to publish. This is a freedom. Now you want to tell everybody in the country what domain extensions they must use, and what content belongs under which domain extension... never going to work. How do you police THAT?? Subpeona more records from Google, I suppose........

[chassoto--2008]

No, they don't...

That's MY job.

[David Arbogast]

You can't take a job from the police

It is also the government's job to enforce laws, whether you help them out or not. Just like cops have to sit and clock speeders, adult content distribution has for a long time been regulated and monitored for compliance. Its great that you do your part... now lets not cut the teeth out of our laws.

[chassoto--2008]

No, they don't...

That's MY job.

[David Arbogast]

You can't take a job from the police

It is also the government's job to enforce laws, whether you help them out or not. Just like cops have to sit and clock speeders, adult content distribution has for a long time been regulated and monitored for compliance. Its great that you do your part... now lets not cut the teeth out of our laws.

[Sure Thing]

Yes changes have to made

Its complete chaos on the web right now. You will hit porn sites whether you intended or not that is guaranteed. I wanted to go to dilbert.com and typed dilber.com by mistake and it took me to a porn site and that was at WORK!! Also one time in college I was looking for the legend of Zelda and typed zelda.com and it was a porn site (that site was later sued by Nintendo). Point is porn sites are competing for customers and they're trying to take advantage of any keywords even those usually used by kids (like game name) and also using typos which any one can make. If adults who are not looking for porn will stumble on it, imagine what happens with kids?

[gefitz]

QUIT IT!

Any newbie knows that, if they don't know the exact address for the content they need, you use a search engine! You don't just type in any old address and close-your-eyes-and-cross-your-fingers still, do you?

Do people still randomly type in www.????.com? I thought people clued into this a long time ago. If not...now you know! :)

[Sure Thing]

Yes changes have to made

Its complete chaos on the web right now. You will hit porn sites whether you intended or not that is guaranteed. I wanted to go to dilbert.com and typed dilber.com by mistake and it took me to a porn site and that was at WORK!! Also one time in college I was looking for the legend of Zelda and typed zelda.com and it was a porn site (that site was later sued by Nintendo). Point is porn sites are competing for customers and they're trying to take advantage of any keywords even those usually used by kids (like game name) and also using typos which any one can make. If adults who are not looking for porn will stumble on it, imagine what happens with kids?

[gefitz]

QUIT IT!

Any newbie knows that, if they don't know the exact address for the content they need, you use a search engine! You don't just type in any old address and close-your-eyes-and-cross-your-fingers still, do you?

Do people still randomly type in www.????.com? I thought people clued into this a long time ago. If not...now you know! :)

[feedbackuser5]

The amount

How much cleavage has to be showen to be considered porn?

[feedbackuser5]

Re:

This message was supposed to been replyed under Brian Emenaker "There is a definition of porn already" Don't know why it posted here after I loged in.

[gefitz]

1.7 inches in the US...8.926 in Norway....

EOC

[feedbackuser5]

The amount

How much cleavage has to be showen to be considered porn?

[feedbackuser5]

Re:

This message was supposed to been replyed under Brian Emenaker "There is a definition of porn already" Don't know why it posted here after I loged in.

[gefitz]

1.7 inches in the US...8.926 in Norway....

EOC

[gefitz]

...Which makes the .xxx domain USELESS!

None of the international nations involved in the discussion have bought into the idea of forcing "porn" to register as a .xxx domain. Unless this happens, it makes no sense at all to bother legislation in the US that porn sites must do this or that or the other thing. The point is that doing this a) will simply force porn sites the "home" in a country other than the US.

At this point, I think a large percentage of what the US considers "web-porn" is probably hosted out of US jurisdiction. So, a monolithic move to force the .xxx domain would be pointless unless other countries agree to do it as well.

Which brings up...how are all those countries going to agree on what "porn" is?

ALL A POINTLESS ENDEAVOR!

[RavingEniac]

a political ploy perhaps

Trying to agitate the US public about porn might be an attempt to wedge government control of the global international internet into law---at least as far as US residents are concerned. There are a number of hyper-alert people who worry that, in the Bush administration, various measures of trying to encroach on people's constitutional rights are a systematic effort to make the US more like a dictatorship. One way to promote curtailment of rights is to create or allow situations and conditions for which the proposed solution is the curtailment of the rights you want to get rid of. This has been done before. One practitioner of this technique was Hitler.

[gefitz]

...Which makes the .xxx domain USELESS!

None of the international nations involved in the discussion have bought into the idea of forcing "porn" to register as a .xxx domain. Unless this happens, it makes no sense at all to bother legislation in the US that porn sites must do this or that or the other thing. The point is that doing this a) will simply force porn sites the "home" in a country other than the US.

At this point, I think a large percentage of what the US considers "web-porn" is probably hosted out of US jurisdiction. So, a monolithic move to force the .xxx domain would be pointless unless other countries agree to do it as well.

Which brings up...how are all those countries going to agree on what "porn" is?

ALL A POINTLESS ENDEAVOR!

[RavingEniac]

a political ploy perhaps

Trying to agitate the US public about porn might be an attempt to wedge government control of the global international internet into law---at least as far as US residents are concerned. There are a number of hyper-alert people who worry that, in the Bush administration, various measures of trying to encroach on people's constitutional rights are a systematic effort to make the US more like a dictatorship. One way to promote curtailment of rights is to create or allow situations and conditions for which the proposed solution is the curtailment of the rights you want to get rid of. This has been done before. One practitioner of this technique was Hitler.

[gefitz]

Should be under the .xxx domain discussion above...

Mine posted in the wrong place! Ugh...

[gefitz]

Should be under the .xxx domain discussion above...

Mine posted in the wrong place! Ugh...

[duke12aw]

as a teenager

as a teenager, i know that when i am a parent i woulod be worried if my son wasnt interested. come on, its only natural, we teens a curious and some of us, especially those that read cnet, dont have the skills with girls :P

[TheTechKid]

I hold a different opinion

I love tecnology and cnet is my source of news too, I do not however, believe that an intrest in this portrayal of human sexuality is a very good one at all. Thus, I believe that wanting and desiring to see it online is not a good indication of 'intrest in it'. I am however not in favor of personal webfilters, I believe that they only widen the chasm between the parents and their children. This is because normally children are presented a picture of trust until the trust is broken and a premptive action such as this does not agree with that. I think that the possible psychological side effects far outway the need for a personal webfilter. Finally webfilters are relatively easy to get past anyhow as stated in the article.

[duke12aw]

as a teenager

as a teenager, i know that when i am a parent i woulod be worried if my son wasnt interested. come on, its only natural, we teens a curious and some of us, especially those that read cnet, dont have the skills with girls :P

[TheTechKid]

I hold a different opinion

I love tecnology and cnet is my source of news too, I do not however, believe that an intrest in this portrayal of human sexuality is a very good one at all. Thus, I believe that wanting and desiring to see it online is not a good indication of 'intrest in it'. I am however not in favor of personal webfilters, I believe that they only widen the chasm between the parents and their children. This is because normally children are presented a picture of trust until the trust is broken and a premptive action such as this does not agree with that. I think that the possible psychological side effects far outway the need for a personal webfilter. Finally webfilters are relatively easy to get past anyhow as stated in the article.