ESET unveils Free Parental Control App to Protect Minors Online

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The protecting of children when exploring the online world by parents has now been made easy by the introduction of the ESET Parental Control for Android app. The feature provides age and category-based filters to restrict children’s access to inappropriate web content.

The new application will help parents regulate the amount of time their children spend on gaming and internet browsing through the ‘Application Guard & Time Management’ function, as well as switch on the ‘Child Locator’ service which can be used to track their child’s location.

ESET East Africa Area Manager, Mr. Bruce Donovan said that children are increasing accessing the internet from mobile devices as opposed to computers increasing the need for parents to manage what their children do with their tablets and smartphones.

“We conducted a study that showed 88 percent of parents are worried about what their children can access online. Out of these, 71 percent mentioned their children had in the past forwarded personal details to strangers; while 61 percent highlighted excessive amounts of time spent on devices,” said Mr. Donovan.

Despite parental fears and the move by the Communication Authority through the Child Online Protection Campaign, only few of parents have installed a parental control app to help manage their children’s online experiences, the survey revealed.

The ESET Parental Control for Android app safeguards children on smartphone devices by giving them protection and user experience, without limiting performance. Designed to help parents protect their children against internet threats and inappropriate web pages, the app boasts a wealth of child protection features and a friendly user interface.

“Even as we offer protection, it is important that the application creates and builds a respectful relations between parents and children who use their own smartphones or tablets,” said Mr. Donovan. . It enables them to be sure that children of all ages can enjoy the wealth of information and entertainment available online without the fear of online threats.

The additional features of the ESET Parental Control app include the ‘Parental message’ which is allows the parents to read SMSs sent to the child and the ‘Reports for Parents’ which sends regular emailed to parents on their children’s internet usage.

The app contains an added option for children to ask their parents for special permission to access certain apps or web content, or ask for extra gaming or browsing time. ESET Parental Control for Android is available from the Google Play Store, at the my.eset.com portal or via ESET’s partners.

Mr. Donovan however advices that trust between parents and children is crucial in establishing a proper and safe use of the internet.

“It is always best to first teach your child the correct way to use the internet then make them aware of the risks and dangers that can result from misuse, making it clear that parental control tools are installed for their own safety,” concluded Mr. Donovan.