Parental control software has been a part of online life since those heady early days when family-friendly service providers brought a ring-fenced internet experience to an eager public. Along the way we’ve seen the development of standalone software, plugins for internet security suites, server-based filtering by ISPs, and even the addition of parental controls directly into Windows. Yet, still a nagging doubt remains at the back of many parents’ minds: does any of it work? As children get online from ever-younger ages, and older kids frequently know more about computers than their parents, many products fail to provide the level of protection expected.
