Many Internet Service Providers (ISPs) offer free parental controls where you can decide what kind of web content your family can access.
Whether you’re a Windows or Mac user, you can make the most of built-in parental controls to do things like restrict your child’s web access, set time limits and block specific programs to help protect your children.
Parental controls are available in some web browsers, such as Firefox, Chrome and Internet Explorer. If you use more than one browser, you’ll need to change the settings for each one.
Kids love searching for information online – whether it’s for homework or just for fun – so make the most of safety controls on the main search engines. If you activate the safe search, you can have greater peace of mind when your child is searching the web.
The main social networks offer lots of tools and resources to help younger users have a safer and more private online experience. Don’t forget, the minimum age on many of them is 13.
Got a young YouTube fan in your family? You’ll want to make sure they can only access appropriate videos by setting up YouTube Restricted Mode on your child’s computer and find out where to get more information on the Google (YouTube) website.
Many providers offer parental controls to block inappropriate programmes and films.
Live streaming platforms let users chat with each other or broadcast videos of themselves in real-time. As this can create privacy and safety issues for users of all ages, it’s important to check the settings and controls on each individual app.
You can use parental controls to manage a range of functions on smartphones, tablets and games consoles, including access to websites, apps and things like location services on their favourite digital devices.
Third-party solutions such as McAfee and Norton Family provide dedicated parental control solutions to help you block inappropriate content.