Usability appears to be the main problem. Which? tested Net Nanny 5.1, AOL 9.0, Cyber Patrol 7, McAfee Internet Security Suite, MSN Premium, Norton Internet Security 2005 and Mac OS X Tiger, and found that most were too difficult for parents to understand and manage. Only Apple's Tiger operating system scored top marks for ease, said the magazine.
Parental control packages regulate what children can look at online by using blacklists or whitelists – lists of sites that are either blocked or allowed – or a combination of the two. However, for the programs to be effective, it's essential that parents regularly check that illicit sites aren't slipping through the net.
"Software can help make the internet a safer environment for children but there's no substitute for parental involvement,” said Sarah Kidner, acting editor, Computing Which? “Parents need to take an active role in monitoring what their children are looking at online so they don't inadvertently put them at risk."
Computing Which? recommends the following tips for protecting children online:
- Keep the computer in a shared living area – not a child's bedroom
- Supervise children's online activities
- Encourage children to discuss any unsavoury content they've found
- Warn children about the potential dangers of chatrooms
- Use parental control software but don't over rely on it
- Change your parental control access password regularly