The world wide web can be a very unsafe place to be especially for children if they are not taught about sinister aspect of cyberspace. Just like it being important to know your kids whereabouts it is also imperative for parents to keep tab on their activity on the net. One way to control or restrict the movements of children unintentionally veering into unethical sites, is by using parental control features.

Now this is possible with ESET first of its kind Parental Control For Android App, the app leverages on the company’s existing technology, coupling it with new features to aid parents in keeping their children safe and protected when exploring the online world the new features offered, the ‘Web Guard’ function provides age and category-based filters to restrict children’s access to inappropriate web content. Parents can also 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 in extreme circumstances, to track their child’s location.

ESET Parental Control for Android is built in two modes to fit its users: the first mode is the Child mode, which is the applied child protection mode, and the second, the Parent mode, which contains all the monitoring tools and set-ups every parent would need to look after their kids. In this mode, parents can decide if they want to only monitor the child’s online behaviour or whether to add any additional restrictions, such as age-based automatic blocking mode for applications and web-surfing.

The app also provides two-way communication between children and parents, for example, the children can request special permission to access certain apps, web content or ask for extra gaming/browsing time, all of which makes the Parental Control a unique application for the Android platform. Additionally, the app displays a child-friendly interface with images and language that is understandable for children.

According to Parvinder Walia , Sales and Marketing Director for ESET, Asia Pacific : “Given the soaring levels of smartphone penetration in Asia Pacific , it’s no surprise to see children of all ages, even as early as preschool, using smartphones and tablets for entertainment and communication with family. The problem is that they may be unaware of the possible risks online and may put themselves in danger of lurking predators and inappropriate web content.

“In developing ESET Parental Control for Android, we wanted to provide parents with a robust yet easy-to-use software that manages, tracks and protects children’s online activities, to eliminate the risks exposed to them. Ultimately it will ensure peace of mind for parents, who can be safe in the knowledge that their children are protected while online.”