Mobile network operators and other Internet service providers are increasingly coming under pressure to empower parents to protect their children online. Some early methods have been problematic and clearly indicate that Mobiflock's application - which puts the control firmly in the hands of the parents, and gives them maximum flexibility over how they protect their children - is the best way forward.
All too often parental control services are rudimentary on-off switches. What's more, network-based services allow parents to control what comes into their own home, but as soon as their child moves onto a mobile Internet connection or another Wi-Fi access point, they are unprotected again.
In addition, when it comes to mobile devices, accessing adult and other inappropriate content is only one of parents' concerns. Unprotected smartphones and tablets leave kids open to other threats including the creation and sharing of inappropriate or illegal content, bullying and sexual grooming via direct communication, amongst others.
"Around the world, there is a growing tide of sentiment around the protection of children from harm on the Internet," said Patrick Lawson, Mobiflock founder and CEO. "How parents, service providers, regulators and governments do this is going to have a far-reaching impact on the evolution of the Internet, the free flow of information around the world, and civil liberties for years to come.
"We believe that ultimate responsibility must rest with parents and that they must be able to choose what level of protection is appropriate for their children. This will change as the child gets older and parents should aim to raise informed young adults who can deal with online threats themselves. As an industry, however, we need to provide the tools to do this to both parents and children."
Mobiflock works via a small app downloaded onto the child's smartphone or tablet. The parent then monitors the device use, sets security levels and receives alerts via an online dashboard. The Mobiflock platform is fully skinnable in a service provider's branding, can be integrated with operator billing systems, offers multiple language support, is network-agnostic and includes dedicated service provider dashboards and reports.
