Computer Bytes - No. 29 It has been said that the best defense is a good offense and in terms of protecting your children on the Internet this couldn't be truer. Internet Safety Laws have been created to help protect children while using the Internet and were designed to keep anyone from obtaining your child's personal information without parental consent. Obtaining of this information can be done by simply asking the child to fill out a form in the process of accessing a game or through the use of 'cookies'. Cookies are imbedded devices that track targeted information about the user. This information can include name, email address, telephone number as well as other sensitive information. In an effort to control this harvesting of information, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act was created and requires websites to explain their privacy policies and to get parental consent before collecting any personal information. This law also prohibits the gathering of more information than necessary to either play a game, enter a contest or access a website. As a parent you can control the access your child has to the Internet through various means. Three of these being via your ISP (Internet Service Provider), your computer's Operating System or the use of a stand-alone program. You should check with your ISP to see what type of controls they offer and how to implement them. The type of services offered may vary from provider to provider. Using your computer's Operating System (OS) is the best way to put these controls into practice. Both Windows XP and Vista, and Apple's Leopard offer features for parental control and manage the sites your child can visit. Use of the Windows' and Apple's operating system is basically the same with some minor variations in the controls they offer and in the ease of use. Controls offered may include the scheduling of time as well as the setting of time limitations; enabling the blocking of certain websites, chat rooms and downloading of iTunes; controlling of games played; and offering a method to watch and review what the kids are doing. While controls at the OS level are the best, there are programs available to purchase that allow you to monitor your child's activity by using log files. When looking for such a program, always review the program's system requirements to make sure your computer is compatible. And bear in mind that since this program must be installed into your computer, there is a slight possibility that it may cause your system to crash. Nothing is foolproof but as a parent or guardian you can reduce the risk substantially by taking action and implementing parental controls. Contact your local police or the FBI if you child has received pornography via the Internet. In the event that you become aware of the transmission, use or viewing of pornographic materials online, you should contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678. Moncrief Web2 Home Page Moncrief Web Design Computer Bytes Index Web Design | Search Engine Optimization | Site Maintenance & Management | Request Information | About Us ~ Sample Sites Send Us an Email | Home Page Copyright 2007-2008. All rights reserved. Computer Bytes articles may not be reprinted, published, quoted, copied, or used in any manner whatsoever without the expressed written permission of David Moncrief.