It is a parent’s instinct to do all they can to protect their children, but this can be increasingly difficult. Access to the internet has become part of daily life, even for children. Your kids may use the internet to watch their favorite shows or even do their homework, as well as communicating with friends.
In 2021, 97% of 3- to 18-year-olds had home Internet access, according to the American Community Survey (ACS).This increased Internet usage among young people can bring more threats, and potential exposure to scammers and the darker elements of the online universe. Parental controls provide a tool to protect against this.
What are parental controls?
Parental controls are settings and tools that can provide a way for parents to manage and impact what their children can access online or on digital devices like smartphones and tablets. These controls allow parents to monitor their child’s screen time but also set certain limits on apps or game usage.
Parental controls can also include features like activity reports to provide insights into what children are viewing or how much time they’re spending online. Some tools enable location tracking or restrict purchases within apps, offering additional layers of protection.
These controls are essential for creating a safer digital environment plus helping to educate children on what is important. They give parents peace of mind by ensuring that their child’s online experience is appropriate and secure for their age.
Parental controls come in a few different forms. Some are within a suite of cybersecurity tools to keep your family safe from others, but there are also parental controls within applications or on devices like smartphones. They provide a way for the parents to control how the device or app is used. One of the simplest examples is the age control on Netflix. These kinds of tools keep parents informed as well as in control.
Why are parental controls important?
Restricting internet usage isn’t always practical. Going online is deeply ingrained in life and culture for many families and stopping children from using the internet could cause them to miss out. On the other hand, letting kids explore the “Wild West” that is the internet without supervision could be very dangerous and lead to threats to their safety as well as access to content that is not age appropriate.
By implementing the right sorts of parental control tools, you can take precautions and restrict some areas of your kids’ internet usage without having to cut them off from the internet, something that could greatly disadvantage them when it comes to education and enjoyment.
Types of parental control tools
Popular parental control tools include dedicated apps and software, as well as built-in tools provided by devices and platforms.
There are three main ways of implementing controls. Standalone parental control apps can offer the most robust features and give specific methods to deal with an issue or prevent something from becoming a problem, but built-in tools on devices or even specific platforms can be handy.
Standalone tools include:
- Screen time management. Allows parents to set daily limits on device usage, helping children maintain a healthy balance between online and offline activities.
- Website blocking. Restricts access to inappropriate or harmful websites, ensuring children can browse the internet safely and that these sites cannot be accessed.
- Real-time alerts for online behavior. Quickly notifies parents about potentially harmful or risky activities, such as attempts to access restricted content or engage with suspicious users.
- Time limits for social media or gaming platforms. These ensure parents can set specific usage limits for apps or platforms, even across multiple devices.
Built-in parental controls on devices include:
- Smartphones and tablets. Usage limits and access restrictions. Provides tools to manage screen time, restrict app downloads, and block access to inappropriate content.
- Gaming consoles. Many consoles allow parents to control game ratings, limit communication features, and set playtime schedules, ensuring a safe gaming environment.
- Smart TVs. Many Smart TVs allow the blocking of explicit content, which restricts access to certain apps based on age ratings. You can make sure your kids never see anything that isn’t intended for their age group.
Platform-specific tools include:
- Netflix. Provides the ability to create child profiles with tailored content filters and PIN protection for adult profiles, ensuring safe streaming experiences.
- Amazon Video. Similar to Netflix, provides the child profiles with age appropriate content.
- Apple TV. Provides parental controls and special features.
- Other streaming platforms. There has been an explosion in streaming options and many of them have their own ways of implementing similar restrictions and parental control options.
Features to consider
Any software that offers parental controls will have its own suite of tools that can be used. A bit like deciding on software for doing your accounts or managing your diary, everyone has to decide on their own preferred features and functions.
Understanding the threats can allow parents to work out which of the features they value most and want to use. Some of this may be dictated by the hobbies and preferences of your children, too. For example, if they play an online game or have a social media account.
Features often include the following:
Web filtering and content blocking
Web filtering tools are designed to block inappropriate or harmful websites, keeping users away from content like violence, explicit material, or gambling. This feature can be customized to suit different age groups and parental preferences meaning a safer browsing experience while still allowing access to useful resources.
Screen time management
Screen time tools help limit the hours spent on devices. Parents or guardians can set daily limits or specific schedules to ensure that devices aren’t overused late at night or during important times like school hours.
Oversight of social media and messaging activities
This feature allows monitoring of interactions on platforms. It provides insights into online conversations and activities to help identify potential risks like bullying or unwanted contacts while respecting privacy as much as possible.
App and game restrictions
Restricting certain apps or games ensures that only age-appropriate content is accessible. This feature can also help manage time spent on addictive games or unnecessary apps, encouraging more productive or educational use of devices.
Location tracking and alerts
Location tools provide real-time updates on a device’s whereabouts, offering peace of mind about safety and well-being. Alerts can be set for entering or leaving specific areas, such as school or home.
Balancing supervision and respect
Balancing supervision and respect when using parental controls is about fostering trust while ensuring safety. Open communication is key. Parents should explain why controls are in place and focus on protection rather than punishment. This helps children understand that the goal is to create a secure online environment, not to invade their privacy or give a metric to somehow punish or spy on them.
Involving children in setting boundaries can also build trust. Gradually easing controls as children demonstrate responsibility is another way to strike this balance.
Privacy and data protection
Online safety requires a lot of consideration, to the point where even the parental controls you are going to use should be carefully considered. Tools and platforms need to prioritize privacy and give you peace of mind that your data is safe.
There are things that you should be on the lookout for when using any software or even signing up for an account online. These include:
- Encryption standards. Ensure any site or tool you are using utilizes robust encryption (e.g., AES-256) to protect data.
- Data collection policies. Check what data the software or platform collects, why it collects it, and how it is used. Look for minimal data collection practices.
- Compliance with regulations. Verify that the platform complies with relevant data protection laws like GDPR, CCPA, or HIPAA.
- Anonymity features. You may look for features like data anonymization or masking to protect user identities.
- Data storage practices. Confirm whether data is stored locally, on secure servers, or in the cloud, and whether the location aligns with privacy laws.
- Third-party access. Check if the tool shares data with third parties and ensure that any third-party agreements prioritize user privacy.
- Privacy policy. Read the privacy policy for clarity and transparency about data handling and security measures.
If they are old enough, this is another chance to discuss things with your children and help them to learn about protecting personal and private information and only working with trustworthy companies.
Parental controls cannot fully protect the boundaries of your children so they will need to learn about their personal information and how crucial it can be. Teaching children to set strong boundaries and not give away their data online can make a big difference and help them to become better at protecting themselves.
Some parental controls could be thought of as a sort of online pedestrian crossing. They are there to protect and give measures to keep kids safe as they go about their business, but that doesn’t mean that kids don’t need to learn the basics of road safety, or, in this case, online safety.
Legal and ethical considerations
The list of considerations may seem long enough when it comes to keeping your kids safe online, but it is crucial to also consider local legal guidelines and best practices.
For example, children’s online rights may be different in some countries. In November 2024, we saw Australia introduce a ban on social media for under-16s. The idea was to predict children from harm, and parental groups were a big part in lobbying for the decision.
Check the legal guidelines in the country where you live. These are often closely tied to data protection and the online rights that young people have. Internet access has become so crucial that there are many countries that introduce specific guidance on how children can access the internet safely and what they should or shouldn’t do, just like in Australia
Ongoing strategies
Online threats are constantly evolving. Scammers change and evolve and some of them are using very professional operations to research and strengthen their tactics. Think about the way that AI has changed industries in recent years. Cybersecurity companies are using AI to strengthen processes, but scammers are also using AI to try to develop more sophisticated scams.
This means that some of the protective strategies that may have worked in the past are not quite as effective. There is a constant need to update and improve, as well as react to the threats that are out there. This is not a one-time action, and the online safety and security of your children is a constant process.
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FAQs
How can I maintain trust while using parental controls?
Parental controls do not have to be a way to punish or restrict your children. The best approach to maintaining trust is to have open communication with your kids and explain the need for parental controls. Be transparent, and don’t hide the fact that you are trying to protect them.