AT&T introduces Web site for parental control

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Feb 12, 2007 by Kelley Chambers

On Friday AT&T introduced a Web site geared toward helping parents control their children's access to certain content the same week a state House committee approved a bill to block predators from reaching children online.

The program, called AT&T Smart Limits, will apply to all of the company's wireless, wireline, high-speed Internet access and video services.

"We're all being bombarded with content from the cell phone, the wired phone, the computer and the TV," said Ryan Stafford, AT&T general manager of the Oklahoma market. "The problem is that we don't have a simple way to learn how to control that content and keep our families safe."

The Web site helps parents navigate the level of control they wish to place on Web and television content and also has a number blocker for Cingular Wireless users.

The parental controls are also intended to prohibit Web access on phones and the purchase of pricey ring tones and graphics for phones.

The Surf Smart option allows parents to decide on Internet settings for different children. Television can be monitored and blocked using a program to filter viewing based on TV ratings and content.

The phone settings also allow parents to block certain numbers, stop unidentified calls and prohibit 900 numbers from being dialed.

Protecting children on the Internet also came up this week in the state House when a bill passed the House Judiciary and Public Safety committee to allow judges to bar sex offenders from contacting minors on the Internet.

The author of HB 1714, state Rep. Paul Wesselhoft, R-Moore, said in a search of two Oklahoma counties 40 sex offenders had been identified as setting up pages on the social networking Web site myspace.com.

Parents can access the AT&T site at www.att.com/smartlimits.>

Copyright 2007 Dolan Media Newswires

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