Internet Filter
Modern-day children use all sorts of devices that connect to the internet. They do their homework online, gaming, social media, etc. It is tough to separate them from the internet, short of keeping them as prisoners, and we all know that I not possible. All sorts of dangers lurk on the internet. How do you keep children safe while they browse? One technique is through an internet filter, which blocks content from specific websites.
Internet Filter and the Law
In 2000 CIPA (Children’s Internet Protection Act became law. The act stipulated that all publicly funded schools would qualify for internet access E-rate discounts if they implemented web filtering for K12 schools. In 2001, the Child Internet Protection Act required all public libraries that received federal funding to install filters, which would block all sexually explicit content. The American Library Association legally challenged the act, but the U.S Supreme Court quashed the challenge in 2003
Internet Dangers and why You Must Shield Children by Using Internet Filter
There is a massive amount of data on the internet, and policing children cannot work. Children are curious by nature, and asking them not to visit specific sites will not work. An Internet filter is a software that blocks an internet user from accessing particular websites. Web filters are used in schools and public libraries. There have been debates on the pros and cons of web filter. With all the inappropriate sites on the internet, you are better off by protecting your child at home with home internet filter, since school already protects them.
These days when online predators are a common feature, you have one more reason to be afraid. YouTube has millions of videos, and millions more are uploaded every minute. Ideally, no child of under 13 should be posting content, but it happens every day. The more your child stays online without an internet filter, the more danger you expose them to.
Internet filter and its Controversies
There has been a lot of controversy surrounding the internet filter. YouTube Kids recently got its website, youtubekids.com. The site offers the same experience as the YouTube Kids mobile app. Parents can now direct their children to age-appropriate videos and track their history. Parents can flag content that might have sneaked past YouTube’s internet filter.
YouTube stands accused in the past of collecting personal data from more than 25 million children and using the data for marketing. YouTube states in its site that only 13 and above should use the site. It has no web filter to ensure those younger than 13 do not gain entry.
There has also been the talk of web filter blocking children from potentially educative material in the name of protection, but the good that filters do, heavily outweigh the supposed bad. These are just some of the reasons why a home internet filter is necessary. If you run a private school, which is not federally funded, you must protect the young ones from accessing certain content.
Advantages of an Internet Filter
An internet filter prevents children from accessing pornography and nudity and gives you absolute peace of mind. Other than children, it blocks phishing attacks, which is a form of a cyber-attack. There is a lot of data to steal in schools, and even at home, it would be effortless for a hacker to mislead a child into clicking on bait links. Web filtering software blocks such scams and blocks any attempt to log into such suspicious sites.
For a school to have no internet filtering, it would be a disaster waiting to happen. Pornography is all over the internet, and some children with no parental control may try to influence others to access pornography and other inappropriate material. Parents of the children with home internet may easily sue the school for allowing their children to access pornography while in school.
Conclusion
Internet filter software is vital in schools and homes. Policing young children is impossible, and the only way to monitor their curious minds is to block them from accessing age-inappropriate material. While the school has a legal obligation to protect the child, the parent has a social and moral responsibility. Morality is relative and subjective. Your responsibility as a parent is ensuring your child grows up in a proper environment, free from harm, both physically, emotionally, and mentally.
No parent would encourage their children to fall prey to online predators who prey on unsuspecting children. The predators hide behind online game chat rooms, luring the children by pretense. A home internet filter takes care of such threats. Be vigilant.