Internet & Filtering Softwares: A Global Solution

Internet as a medium is not moderated, and while this has obvious advantages, there are also disadvantages. Most countries have formulated their own rules for the media within them, based on majority moral standards and political interest, so censorship levels vary from culture to culture. The global nature of Internet, both culturally and physically, makes regulation impossible. This issue is often particularly worrying for parents, for while the Internet is an excellent resource for children and an exciting new means of communication, they cannot be sure their children access only content that is appropriate for them.

Governments around the world are currently grappling with the issue of regulation. The challenge is to allow people access to the benefits of the Internet while ensuring content doesn't offend community standards. The Movie Ratings system is one example of the way content is regulated in Australia.

Possible Solutions

There is no better solution to keeping children safe on the Internet than to make sure they are ALWAYS supervised when online. The Internet is not like television which only allows adult shows to broadcast late at night. It is more like a library where anyone can access, and insert, content anywhere on the shelves at any time. Undesirable content can be accessed very easily, so it's always better if an adult can be on hand to assist children when using the Internet. Adult supervision can help children avoid or at least put into context any Adult material found.

However, you may not want to risk the chance of any material accidently popping up, or you may wish to make sure you yourself are not confronted with material you are not comfortable viewing. The ABA (Australian Bankers' Association) has provided a list of 24 approved filtering programs that you can use to help avoid this material and moderate your access to the World Wide Web.

Robert