Filters and Other Tools
Pornographers are finding more and more ways to recruit new customers. For an overview of their methods, see the article Tricks Pornographers Play. Finding good tools to stop the flow of obscene material into your computer can be challenging. There are hundreds of filtering products out there, but not all are easy to use and effective. We recommend the below sources based on feedback from our visitors, industry reviews and personal experience.
Filtered Internet and Email
Covenant Eyes: Covenant Eyes was one of the early pioneers of internet accountability tracking. It has recently expanded its product line to include internet filtering along with accountability tracking. The software installs on your PC and logs your web surfing, stores the data on Covenant Eyes servers, and generates reports to the accountability partners of your choice. The program works with all browsers (including MAC) and all internet connections.
K9 Web Protection: (FREE) Blue Coat® K9 Web Protection is a content filtering solution for your home computer. Its job is to provide you with a family-safe Internet experience, where YOU control the Internet content that enters your home. K9 Web Protection implements the same enterprise-class Web filtering technology used by Blue Coat's Fortune 500 customers around the world, wrapped in simple, friendly, and reliable software for your Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows Vista computer.
Optenet Porn Filter: This filter program blocks pornography and includes a free 15 day trial and a 30 day 100% satisfaction guarantee. The program requires a password in order to be removed from the computer.
Optenet PC Parental Controls: Optenet PC is an advanced parental control software. It is a flexible and effective web filter designed to allow you to control Internet access for your entire family on your home PC. With Optenet PC you can block unwanted content from your home computer while permitting unlimited access to legitimate sites and making your family's Internet experience safe and positive. With the web filter, you can even fine tune the exact type of access needed for each family member and manage the time they spend online. Filter out pornography, violence, drugs and other unwanted web content easily and accurately. Optenet-your web filter for a safe Internet environment
Safe Eyes / InternetSafety.com: Safe Eyes is a great all-in-one solution for filtering unwanted sites, content, popup windows, and chat rooms. Safe Eyes works on both Windows and Mac operating systems interchangeably. Safe Eyes includes these features:
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Techmission Safe Families FREE Internet filtering Software: TechMission provides free Internet Filtering Software and Parental Controls to help protect children online.
Other helpful tools
Accountable2You - We provide a 100% free computer accountability service called Accountable2You Product Suite. It allows members to be transparent with their accountability group. The product includes 2 very powerful monitoring tools that record both Internet websites visited and Windows activity. There is no charge for members or accountability partners.
Content Purity Scanner & Removal Tool
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From their website: "ContentPurity.com provides parental controls software to detect, remove and clean up objectionable Content off your PC. You can check if your spouse or children visit objectionable sites on the internet with our free parental control tool, Content Scanner . Our content filtering tool, Child Web Guardian allows you to block access to objectionable sites. It is the most effective content filtering product on the market today. " |
Free Pop-up Stopper from Panicware: We've found this to be an effective, free pop-up / pop-under blocking program. Since you never know what the content of pop-up Ads might be (porn, dating services, gambling, etc.), it makes sense to protect you and your family by eliminating the ads.
Links for more information:
- FilterReview.com for reviews on filters and filtered service providers (provided by the National Coalition for the Protection of Children and Families)
- Internet-filter-review.com for reviews on filters (secular)
- TechMission Safe Families: Assists parents, churches and computer center managers in protecting children in at-risk communities from pornography and other dangers on the Internet; provides information for adults on issues of pornography addiction, accountability and recovery; provides links to free internet filter products