A sampling of the parental monitoring services that earned at least 4 stars (out of 5) from PC Magazine:
SafetyWeb: Monitors children’s publicly available accounts, such as Facebook and Twitter, and can instantly send back reports on potentially troublesome language or anomalous activity, such as new contacts. With access to “family plan” accounts, it can also report on frequently used contacts on a child’s mobile phone and new usage patterns. Cost: $10 per month.
Norton Online Family: This free service tracks when kids log in to social networks, how much time they spend on the computer, where they go and whether they’re entering information parents have prohibited, among other features. Rather than rigid control, the emphasis is on parent-child communication.
Net Nanny 6.5: This is PC Magazine’s “Editors’ Choice” for its sophisticated handling of most things parents look for, including the ability to continue to block inappropriate content even when kids try clever workarounds. Analyzing content in real time, it also blocks profanity on otherwise OK Web pages. Cost: $39.99.
— Steve Johnson
