If you are a parent or grandparent and you own a computer, you are probably concerned about the dangers of the internet. What would you give to keep your children safe by effectively putting yourself in control of their internet activity without having to constantly stand over their shoulders?
I recently returned to the UK having spent ten years in Tucson Arizona. During my sojourn in the desert sun I agreed to be the head coach of my daughter’s football team. That’s where I first met Paul Ranheim, the father of one of the other girls on the team. Paul is also one of the directors of Tucson based PG Key LLC. When Paul and I touched base again a few weeks ago and he mentioned what his company is doing to protect American kids from the perils of the internet, I got really excited. The UK has a huge problem with internet security and I immediately offered to spread the word about the PG Key in the UK.
Most of the dangers to kids online can’t be prevented with web filters and site blocking software. That’s the conclusion of the recent report from the Internet Safety Technical Task Force that included representatives from MySpace, Google Inc., AOL and Facebook Inc.
Task force member, Attorney General Roy Cooper of North Carolina said in his recent interview "Clearly, the main responsibility is on parents."
This conclusion mirrors what parenting experts and law enforcement officials have been advising - Parents must be vigilant and involved in their children’s daily internet use.
In the UK, a recent Channel 4 documentary called ‘Sex Education versus Pornography’ saw host Anna Richardson ask computer manufacturers, distributors, retailers and even the government what can be done to protect our children and the answer was unanimous in laying the responsibility firmly on the shoulders of parents. Thankfully, the PG Key makes it easier for parents to undertake that responsibility.
Advice of experts and parents used to develop PG Key
The developers of the PG Key assembled law enforcement professionals, parenting experts, concerned parents, and even kids themselves to gain a clearer understanding of the technical and parenting challenges faced by today’s high-tech families.
Some of the greatest concerns from parents were the dangers of cyber-bullying, online messaging with strangers, and the problems that arise when inappropriate information and pictures are posted on kids social networking sites. These problems in particular are difficult or impossible to prevent with existing filtering products.
While the parents interviewed all agreed with the strategy of monitoring as the most effective way to prevent these dangers, they repeatedly expressed the need for a simpler and more complete method to create the safe environment being advised. PG key allows parents to simulate the environment that would otherwise require the impracticality of constant supervision.
PG Key helps fight tough internet dangers
PG Key plugs into any USB port on the computer in use. Similar to a car key, the key must be inserted in order for the child to "drive" onto the internet. When PG Key is in the computer, a combination of content filters, activity recording and alert notifications are enabled for the internet session. These features allow parents to enforce the rules they set for their kids' safe computer use.
PG Key creates a recording of the activities that occur on the kid’s computer – like recording your favorite TV show. You can "play back" up to 60 hours of computer activity and actually see what was happening. You can watch on the same computer, or simply plug PG key into any other system. Fast forwarding and scrolling through the video is as easy as controlling your DVD player.
PG Key is available now
PG Key is available online from www.pgkey.co.uk. Requirements and product details can be found on the website. A version for Mac and a similar product for mobile devices are currently in development and due for release soon.
PG Key gets my vote as the best way that parents can protect their children from the dangers of the internet.
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