Family Safety and Parental ControlsPublished: May 30, 2006 | Updated: July 15, 2007 Family safety ranks as a top concern for parents around the world as more children access and socialize on the Internet everyday. Parents are particularly concerned about children viewing inappropriate content and meeting strangers online. Windows Live Family Safety Settings Microsoft is committed to providing a more positive and safer online experience for all children and their parents through a combination of safety software, guidelines, and partnerships with leading child development experts. A key deliverable of this commitment is Windows Live Family Safety Settings (FSS) a no-charge, Web-based, customizable safety service.
In the United States, FSS includes tips, guidance, and age-appropriate recommendations from child development experts through the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). The AAP is an organization of 60,000 pediatricians who are committed to the attainment of optimal physical, mental, and social health for all infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. Microsoft also collaborates with similar child-health experts outside of the United States to promote safer online experiences for families worldwide.
The Features of FSSFSS includes content filtering for the Web, contact list management tools for communication services, and online activity reports. When used with the Web- and computer-based family safety settings built into Windows Vista, FSS helps provide families with valuable layers of protection. | • | Content filtering. Content filtering for the Web will allow customers to choose settings that allow, block, or warn for a range of content categories, including Web-based chat and e-mail communications. FSS allows parents to apply unique settings for each member of the household. When a user signs in to Windows Live on a computer that is running Family Safety Settings, the filtering settings are automatically enforced. To help meet the family’s evolving needs, parents can review and adjust settings online anytime from any personal computer.
| | • | Expert guidance. Through FSS, the AAP (and other respected child organizations worldwide) provide parents with valuable guidance on age-appropriate settings and online activities. For example, parents have access to guidelines on how to help a child use online communications safely and on how to talk to children about inappropriate Web browsing.
| | • | Activity reports. Parents can access activity reports for each user in the family at any time from any computer connected to the Internet. This helps them stay informed about their children's Web browsing and online communications.
| | • | Contact management. Parents can create "allow" lists for communication services, including Windows Live Mail, Windows Live Messenger, and Windows Live Expo, to help prevent their children from crossing paths with unknown contacts. The "allow" list also helps parents restrict access to a child's personal Web log (blog) or social networking page to only those contacts they have approved. This communication services protection will apply any time a user is signed in through Windows Live.
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For More InformationSign up for Family Safety Settings now Find out more about the American Academy of Pediatrics | |
