Qustodio – Smarter Parental Controls

The Internet can be a scary place, especially for parents with young children. Qustodio is a tool that parents can use to set up “automagical” controls on their computers and other mobile devices, helping to protect their children from cyber bullies and inappropriate websites. Qustodio can also be used to limit the amount of time children spend surfing the web and using their favorite games or mobile apps.

Before you set up any parental controls, it may be useful to sit back and learn how your children are using the web. From Qustodio dashboard page, you can see how much time your children are spending online, what websites they’re most likely to visit, and what search terns they’ve entered into Google. You can also view activity summaries broken down by day, week, or month, for each of your children. The application pre-emptively blocks potentially harmful websites, and automatically monitors all social networking activity on Facebook and Twitter.

Once you’ve gotten a handle on how your children use the web, it’s time to place some limits. Block individual games or apps that you don’t want your kids using (like Skype or World of Warcraft, for example), along with entire categories of websites (like those with mature content or violence). You can also create individual profiles for each of your children, giving your 17-year-old more freedom than your 7-year-old or your tween. Qustodio lets you set time limits for each of your devices, and sends you instant alerts when it detects any “suspicious activity” is going on.

Practical Uses:

• Limit the time your kids spend surfing the Internet
• Prevent cyber bullies from contacting your children
• See who your daughter is chatting with on Facebook
• Prevent your son from playing World of Warcraft on your iPad

Insider Tips:

• Qustodio works on Windows, Mac, and Android devices
• Set up individual profiles for each child in the family
• Qustodio blocks every page of any site it deems harmful
• Devices can be locked when time limits have been reached

What we liked:

• Parents can find out how their children are using the Internet
• Parents with multiple children can set up individual profiles with unique controls
• Qustodio monitors activity on social networking sites
• The platform shows whether a computer is being used primarily for educational or social purposes

What we didn’t like:

• Tech-savvy teenagers may be able to find ways to get around Qustodio’s monitoring tools

Alternatives:

• K9 Web Protection – http://www1.k9webprotection.com
• McGruff Safeguard – http://www.gomcgruff.com

Company Info:

• Launched: 2012
• Privately Held
• Headquarters: Dover, Delaware
• Founded by: Eduardo Cruz
• Web site: http://www.qustodio.com

Costs:

• Qustodio’s software is free
• Qustodio Premium is $49.95