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Safe Eyes Mobile iPhone app will filter content for younger users

By: , IntoMobile
Friday, January 9th, 2009 at 6:11 AM

During this year’s Macworld, InternetSafety.com unveiled a new application for the iPhone/iPod Touch called Safe Eyes Mobile, which enables parents to filter content for their children.

This new browser for the iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPod Touch blocks millions of pages of inappropriate online content while allowing full access to the rest of the Web, eliminating the need to turn off the iPhone’s highly acclaimed mobile browsing feature to avoid exposing children to the unsavory side of the Internet.

The upcoming application uses the same approach as the company’s popular Safe Eyes software for PCs and Macs by checking requested websites against a massive blacklist of potentially objectionable Web addresses that is updated on a daily basis. As a result, it prevents iPhone/iPod Touch access to pages in the pornography, nudity, sex and tasteless/gross categories by default. Parents can also configure the software to filter sites in 31 other categories as well as by URL.

According to the official release, despite its filtering activity, Safe Eyes Mobile has no noticeable effect on iPhone performance. In addition, the solution cannot be overridden by children because it is controlled from the Safe Eyes website with password-protected setup… A short demo video follows after the jump.

About The Author

Dusan Belic

Dusan has been using smartphones since their introduction and is now following the latest trends in the industry. The "convergence" is what he's most excited about, and writing about it is the next logical thing to do. He thinks that using a smartphone is what everyone who cares about their time should do. In addition to his interests in mobile phones, Dusan also loves to experiment with the latest web and mobile 2.0 services. The idea of accessing and managing your information from any device no matter where you are simply amazes him. Whether it's an online to-do list, note taking service or a video sharing social network, he's there to try it out. He admits though, he's still searching for the ultimate web-based organizational tool, which "sings" perfectly with the mobile PIM application. Dusan used to run SymbianWatch.com which later became part of IntoMobile. He lives in Serbia, South-East Europe, from where he edits the site on a daily basis.

  • urFriend

    What would stop a child from simply not using Safe Eyes and starting the Safari or installing the Google browser and using it? If Safe Eyes has to be used to bock content, it would be the same as saying ‘don’t go to these sites’ since it would still require them to chose Safe Eyes rather than another browser and get un-filtered content.

    • Don

      Safe Eyes is not based on a browser. It works regardless of what browser is used. I have Safe Eyes and it works amazingly.

      • John

        Safe Eyes mobile only works on the supplied Safe Eyes Mobile browser. It DOES NOT work like the desktop client. Safe Eyes mobile does not adequately filter the capabilities of the Iphone. You are instructed to disable Safari and leave only Safe Eyes mobile as the browser. I disabled adding applications so that no other browser could be added. Safe Eyes mobile cannot filter Youtube on the Iphone either. Safe Eyes mobile did not do an adequate job showing the severe limitations of the mobile version compared to the desktop version.

  • Lyn

    I am wondering if there is some kind of filter compatible with the anroid phones? I’m having a hard time finding anything on it.

    Thanks

  • Dee

    I wish this was available for the Blackberry.
    I have the trial software on my laptop…and when it’s up I’m thinking of purchasing it or another program.

    Does anyone know if it will be available for other mobile platforms in the future?