CONSUMER REPORTS FINDS FILTERING SOFTWARES IMPROVE BLOCKS ON PORNOGRAPHY IMPROVED BUT RESTRICT ACCEPTABLE WEB SITES

— Software less effective at blocking hatred, drugs and violent sites; Five tips for concerned parents looking to protect children who are surfing —

June 2005 Issue

YONKERS, NY – Consumer Reports’ (CR) latest tests of filtering software show that while Internet blockers have gotten better at blocking pornography, the best also tend to block many sites they shouldn’t. In addition, Consumer Reports found the software to be less effective at blocking sites promoting hatred, illegal drugs or violence. The June issue includes ratings of 11 popular filtering software products and advice for concerned parents who are trying to better protect their children online.

Internet filtering software inserts itself between a computer’s browser and Internet connection to prevent objectionable sites from getting through. CR tested filtering software products – including the online services – that intercept all attempts to visit Web sites, and then consult a list of sites that the software maker has deemed unsuitable for children. Some products can sniff out objectionable material on the fly. For its tests, Consumer Reports built a list of objectionable sites that anyone can easily find, plus informational sites to test the filters’ ability to discern the objectionable from the merely sensitive. Each of the filters was configured as if by a parent of a 12- to 15-year-old, then the experts at CR tried to access the sites. CR found that:

• Filters kept out most, but not all, of the pornography. The worst performer blocked 88 percent, enough to serve as an obstacle, but not impervious to a persistent teen.
• Information sites can be snubbed, too. The best porn blockers were heavy-handed against sites about health issues, sex education, civil rights and politics.
• Research can be a headache. These programs may impede older children doing research for school reports.
• They can regulate more than Web sites. Some can prevent downloading of music, disable games, and screen email and instant messages for inappropriate language.

• Talk it over: Instruct children that when they encounter an objectionable site to exit the browser and call a parent.
• Keep things out in the open: Take computers out of kids’ rooms and put them into public areas.
• Chaperon chat rooms and e-mail: Let kids know who they can talk to online and to not give out any personal information.
• Check the logs: Parents can check the Internet filter’s activity logs – now a standard feature – to see which sites their children are attempting to visit.
• Learn more: Parents can log on to ConsumerReports.org to access this report for free. Additionally, CR recommends additional sites such as the American Library Association and NetParents.org for more advice.