The internet is a vast collection of humanity’s conscious and unconscious leanings. It contains just about everything you could imagine only a few keywords away, with every possible media type at your fingertips. Never before in human history have we had such unrestricted access to anything we can dream of seeking out, which also presents some entirely new challenges for parents, guardians, educators, and other authority figures. We all know it’s important to ensure that children are given access only to age-appropriate content with proper education, context, and guidance about how to process the information they’re presented with. Sexually explicit content is meant only for adults who have the knowledge and understanding to engage with it in a healthy and meaningful way, and it’s important to give adults the tools they need to ensure their little ones aren’t exposed to things that may confuse, upset, or impede their cognitive and emotional development. In this resource, we’ll go over several trusted free and premium options that empower responsible adults to moderate what their children are able to access online. Let’s dive in and make the internet a safer, freer place for kids and adults alike!

FREE

Apple’s Screen Time App

Apple provides some pretty robust content moderation tools for parents free of charge. Setup takes minutes, and responsible parties can control app limits, block specific websites on all browsers for every device, and restrict online adult content across the board. There are many other features available which can help adults control the time kids spend on apps, and on their screens in general. For more information, here are two articles from Apple’s support section detailing how to set up the screen time permissions, and a broad overview of the many capabilities available.

a. https://support.apple.com/en-us/108806
b. https://support.apple.com/en-us/105121

Google Family Link

Google’s free parental control tool works across many different types of devices including Androids, Chromebooks, iPhones, and any device with a google chrome browser. You can block specific websites, set app limits, and control content filters on Google services like YouTube, Search, and Chrome. It also includes monitoring tools like location services, device pinging, and scheduled screen downtime. Learn more on Google’s official Family Link page where you can explore features, device compatibility, and frequently asked questions. Google also has a more extensive support page which covers topics about internet safety, how to have conversations with kids about browsing behavior, and more tools that guardians can use for peace of mind.

a. https://families.google/familylink/
b. https://safety.google/families/

Microsoft Family Safety

Microsoft’s app works with Microsoft and Android devices, but it also brings something unique to the table thanks to its compatibility with Xbox systems. Online gaming is an often-overlooked aspect of web access and digital socialization for kids and teens where explicit content and language can run rampant without moderation. Family Safety utilizes Microsoft’s Edge browser to control what content and websites young ones are able to access, and blocks all other browser installations to prevent circumvention. You can block explicit or mature sites, and even restrict your child to kid-friendly sites and apps only. Apps can have specific time limits, and kids can request more screen time directly through the app, which guardians can accept with specific constraints or deny. To learn more about how you can use Microsoft’s free tool, check out the link below to log in and get started with a few simple clicks.

a. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/family-safety 

ISP Content Filtering

All ISPs (Internet Service Providers) offer content filtering options through their networking at no additional cost. To learn more, you will need to sign in to your ISP as if you were managing your account, and look for a content filtering or parental controls option. Your ISP should have a FAQ or support section that can help guide you through this, or you can contact them directly for help setting up filters and website controls. This should work on all devices while they are accessing the internet through your home provider. Though it will not offer coverage outside your home, it’s important to note that many schools and businesses use similar ISP filtering. One more thing to keep in mind - it will apply to ALL devices on the home network – including yours, unless your ISP offers device-specific restrictions.

PREMIUM

Qustudio

One of the most popular and feature-rich applications available is Qustudio, a full suite of parental controls for just about any device under the sun (including Kindles!). It offers content filtering by category, including ways to set alerts for potentially concerning sites and apps, in addition to a whole host of other benefits like location tracking, SMS monitoring, app specific time limits, and weekly reports about your child’s digital behavior. It has no problem keeping explicit and mature websites and apps away from little ones, and it comes in at a very affordable price point. Check their official website for more information and resources about how to use the app, and how to have difficult conversations about the digital world.

a. https://www.qustodio.com/en/ 

Norton Family

Our favorite long-time trusted anti-virus software has yet another shield of protection to offer – efficient and cost-effective content filtering. If you already have Norton 360 Deluxe or Premium, congratulations! Norton Family is included free of charge with each suite. You can see what kinds of keywords your child is searching for, block specific websites, set screen time limits, and more from their easy to use web portal. It works on Windows, Mac, iOs, and Androids with a few exclusions, and is easy to monitor and adjust. You’ll receive weekly reports of your child’s browsing behavior, making it easy to spark up important conversations about what’s on their mind. In addition, you can monitor what videos your child has been viewing on YouTube in the browser – combined with blocking the YouTube app, you can keep a better handle on the types of content your child consumes. And of course, as with all tools on the list, blocking explicit and mature apps and websites is a breeze. Check out their official site for more information.

a. https://us.norton.com/products/norton-family 

Mobicip

Mobicip is unique in that not only does it offer the standard suite of protection and filtering tools any guardian would expect, it also offers features specifically to collaborate with your child about setting healthy goals and boundaries, having important conversations, and hitting milestones. You can filter content by category down to some very specific niches which is helpful for more nuanced content moderation as kids grow into teenage years – for example, distinguishing between adult sites and dating advice sites, for those first crushes. It also allows for specific keyword filtering and blocking, and notifications of searches attempted in real-time. It works on just about any platform, including Android, Kindle, Chromebook, Mac, and more. To get the scoop on Mobicip, visit their official site for a full list of features and pricing.

a. https://www.mobicip.com/ 

Net Nanny

Net Nanny has been a trusted provider of content moderation since 1996, so they’ve been leading the conversation about online filtering for nearly as long as easy internet access has existed! They provide advanced blocking for a multitude of age-inappropriate topics, with ability to control screen time, block individual apps and websites, and even monitor YouTube browsing history. Its unique Family Feed gives you a social-style feed of your child’s activity at a glance, as well as important articles and resources from the Net Nanny team to further your digital education and assist in having conversations with your kids about the internet. Their compatibility is a bit limited, only having support for Windows, Mac, and iOs, but if your devices are compatible the features are time-tested and award-winning. Check out their website for more about the most established content moderation software out there!

a. https://www.netnanny.com/features/ 

Aura

Our last pick comes highly recommended for a whole host of online security, not just parental controls – it includes a suite of identity protection software for both you and your little ones, ensuring their information remains safe from prying eyes. It also includes some pretty substantial moderation tools for an overlooked aspect of digital socialization – online gaming. You can monitor voice and text chats for over 200 online PC games, in addition to adult content blocking and browser monitor functions. You can remotely activate SafeSearch for all major search engines, so no matter where they go, their results are protected. You’ll receive cyberbullying alerts about any content that seems questionable, helping you start conversations when your kid is having tough times with their peers, and it even gives you an overview of their social tone and engagement style to help you better understand their inner world. Antivirus software is included with the family plan for an added layer of security, as well as scam monitoring – meaning not only can you protect your little ones, you can also help keep the elders in your family safe from falling prey to the financial scams becoming more and more prevalent.

b. https://www.aura.com/parental-controls 

Conclusion

In the modern digital world, there is no shortage of well-rounded and feature-rich options to monitor, filter, and restrict access to harmful types of content and online behaviors. We’ve listed some of the most popular, but the internet is a vast place full of room to explore and find the product that best suits you and your family. Empowering consumers with the ability to make informed decisions through encouraging agency is an important part of the mission here at REO, and we want to put the tools to manage and develop family screen habits in your capable hands. For even more options and thorough comparisons, we’ve included links to review roundups from prominent tech magazines to help you on your journey. Below, you’ll also find links to organizations whose sole focus is helping parents and guardians make decisions about how to keep children safe on the internet and start important conversations to open up a dialogue in a healthy and responsible way. Navigating this new landscape of unfettered digital content is not for the faint of heart, but with a little guidance and a few guard rails, the internet can go from a scary unknown to a comforting extension of home and school for your developing young minds.

a. https://www.techradar.com/best/best-parental-control-app-of-year
b. https://www.pcmag.com/picks/the-best-parental-control-software

a. https://fosi.org/
b. https://saferinternet.org.uk/
c. https://www.internetmatters.org/