Since the Communications Decency Act was ruled unconstitutional last summer, software-based solutions have become the preferred methods of monitoring and blocking children's Internet activity. Two new products and a new version of one of the established leaders in this market aid parents in regulating their children's online experiences. Previous versions offered weekly updates to the CyberNOT list of restricted sites. That list is now automatically enhanced daily, indexing objectionable sites compiled by a full-time research staff.
Intelligent sensors detect and block sites with inadmissible words, phrases, or images.
Meanwhile, human monitors catch any slip-ups, so sites devoted to Anne Sexton and breast cancer won't make it to the CyberNOT lists. Parents can add and remove inadmissible categories and sites themselves. If necessary, WebChaperone blocks them and suggests alternative, acceptable sites for browsing. As with CyberPatrol, WebChaperone's preferences may be modified for each user in a household. Internet content is filtered by context rather than merely keywords, so it too can distinguish worthwhile sites from potentially offensive material.