South African child protection organisations have saluted Verb Innovations' My Mobile Watchdog - a parental control software aimed at protecting children who use mobile phones.
The software enables parents to monitor and control their children's cellphone communications, including incoming and outgoing SMS and MMS messages and numbers, phone calls and e-mails.
It also has the ability to block applications such as social networking sites and Internet access. Parents can also choose to be notified via text message or e-mail concerning suspicious activities on their children's cellphones.
Film and Publication Board (FPB) acting communications manager, Prince Mlimandlela Ndamase, says the tool can aid in curbing cyber bullying by helping parents to monitor their children's cellphone usage.
According to Ndamase, cellphones have become the most widely used devices for accessing the Internet in SA. Parents should be aware of the growing functionality of cellphones and make sure their children are always protected when using these devices, he says.
“FPB has been investigating the possibility of this kind of software to help with online child protection issues,” he points out.
Cyber intimidation
Nonhlanhla Biyase at Childline Gauteng says the growing problem of cyber bullying in SA can be lowered by the use of monitoring software, as it helps parents keep a record of e-mails and chats that children receive and send at all times. “If there is a case of cyber bullying, parents could intervene as quickly as possible.”
A publisher of media literacy and digital citizenship education materials and programming, i-Safe, conducted a study which suggests more than 42% of kids have been bullied while online, she says.
“With serious results in many cyber bullying cases, including suicide, it is a concept that definitely deserves the attention of computer users on a worldwide basis.”
Biyase advises parents to encourage children to tell them or send them a copy of any abusive message they receive.
My Mobile Watchdog can help parents to have control over what children are exposed to through text messages and social networking sites, she says. “This innovation will also enhance good parent-child relationships.”
Child safety
The service costs R60 per month, which means only a certain percentage of children in SA - those whose parents can afford the program - will benefit directly, she points out.
“For those parents who cannot benefit, we feel it's still good for parents to communicate to their children ways they can keep safe from the cyber bullies and predators.”
Gareth Miller, director of Verb Innovations, says sexual predators have honed in on cellphones to 'groom' innocent young children whose access to the Internet via the home computer is generally monitored by parents.
“Sadly, many parents are unaware of the growing number of cellphone applications children have access to and, unwittingly, are making their children vulnerable to sexual predators and their ilk,” he says.
“Our long-term objective is to add functionality to the software and offer it through a network integration with all the major cellphone networks in SA,” Miller says.
My Mobile Watchdog works with all cellular networks in SA, and is compatible with BlackBerry and Android smartphones like Samsung, HTC, Motorola, LG, and Sony Ericsson.
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