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iKydz: Parental control for online activity

Parenting in the technological era presents a host of headaches that never existed before. Some p...
Newstalk
Newstalk

10.06 24 Jan 2017


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iKydz: Parental control for on...

iKydz: Parental control for online activity

Newstalk
Newstalk

10.06 24 Jan 2017


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Parenting in the technological era presents a host of headaches that never existed before. Some parents struggle to get to grips with new social media, while others look to understand how best to restrict online access. 

Irish company iKydz has produced a device that is "designed by parents, for parents", so says Jason Sheehy, Operations Director with the company.

A small box that plugs directly into the modem, iKydz allows parents to set up a profile for each connected device in the home - meaning every phone and tablet gets their internet from the iKydz box. 

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"It's a relatively simple product," Sheehy explains. "It allows a parent to control the internet access at home for their children. It has various different features, the most basic being the ability to turn off internet access for individual devices. You can apply a restriction at night time to ensure your kids aren't online when they should be asleep. You can also set devices to go offline at certain times of the day, which is particularly helpful as we approach exam season."

 

The setup is incredibly easy, and the settings can be accessed from anywhere in the world. The parent's portal comes pre-loaded with settings for social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat. This means the parent can allow the child to access YouTube, for example, but cut off Snapchat after a certain time of the day. 

The box itself costs €99 with no subscription fee, so once you have it, you have it. 

At present, the iKydz box can only control what the child accesses on the Wifi network, but the company has plans to expand that to 3G and 4G activity. That version, however, may come with a monthly subscription fee. 

It's worth noting that children still have privacy, as parents cannot see what their child has been searching. They can, however, see what apps have been used and for how long. 

You'll find more information about the iKydz boxes here


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