Monday, October 14th
2024 Internet Filter Reviews
Bark
- "A+” Better Business Bureau rating
- Free trial
- Widely-recognized service
- Monitors over 30 platforms
- Can monitor more than one account on a single platform
Bark's mission is to help families understand and manage the digital devices that their kids use every day. They were founded in 2015 by a dad of two who wanted to give parents the ability to manage every aspect of their kids' digital worlds. The company offers their services to K-12 schools throughout the U.S., at no cost to them or their communities, to monitor all their digital devices. This contribution was sparked by the tragic shooting in Parkland, Florida. Bark has partnered with several trusted entities like the Child Rescue Coalition, National Police Foundation, Crime Stoppers, CDC, Sandy Hook Promise, and others to advance their mission.
Monitors over 30 apps
Parents can use Bark to manage over 30 of the most popular apps and social media platforms used by people of all ages. Snapchat, Instagram, Kik, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, messenger, Google, Reddit, and Dropbox are just a few of the platforms that Bark can help manage. Specific things that Bark will monitor are signs of issues related to cyberbullying, online predators, sexual content, threats of violence, suicidal ideation, depression, and more.
Runs continually and quietly
If Bark marks a potential danger, you'll receive an email and text alert so you know what to check up on and when. The service runs quietly and continually on all the devices it is set up on, so it can always be monitoring texts, emails, photos, videos, voice memos, social media comments, direct messages, song lyrics, chat rooms, and everything else you choose to set up. If at any time your child changes their passwords to their email or social media accounts, you'll get a notification as an effort to stop them from circumventing the system.
Screen time controls, website blockers, and location tracking
In addition to checking digital content and sending alerts, parents can set up screen time controls, block specific websites, and track the location of their kids' phones. You'll be able to choose when your kids can access the internet and which sites they are able to visit. A comprehensive schedule is available to view, so you could set a bedtime for the internet at the end of the day as well as periods of time during the day when you'd like the internet paused.
Save with annual subscription
There are two options for using Bark's services. The first is their premium package where you can manage screen time, filter websites, keep up with location alerts, monitor texts, emails, YouTube, and 30+ other apps and platforms, and get alerts about cyberbullying, online predators, suicidal ideation, and more. Customers can choose to pay $14/month for this or $99/year with an annual plan. The annual plan saves you up to 42%, so it's definitely the most cost-effective way to go if you're excited about this product.
Option for younger children
Bark Jr. is the second option for families that includes everything in the premium package except for the ability to monitor texts, emails, YouTube, and 30+ platforms. You also won't receive any alerts when Bark notices something to do with cyberbullying, online predators, or other potential dangers you've set. This plan is just $5/month or $49/year. It seems like a much less effective option, but might work for young kids who don't have full access to cell phones and haven't signed up for social media platforms.
7-day free trial
If you're up in the air about using Bark as your family's online filtering service, we highly recommend taking advantage of their 7-day free trial. This will give you time to thoroughly explore their platform and test out their features to see if they'll be a good fit. You will have to provide a credit card for the trial to start, but you won't be charged anything until after the 7 days are up and you decide not to cancel.
Highly featured
Bark has been featured by Bloomberg, CBS News, CNBC, CNN, Forbes, The New York Times, BBC, Vogue, Good Morning America, Tech Crunch, Mashable, USA Today, and other prominent news outlets It's easy to set up Bark on your children's smart devices and only takes a matter of minutes. The company has an "A+” rating from the Better Business Bureau, and it's a good way to monitor basic threats on your children's devices without having to take them away every night.
Strong choice
One concern we have is that there are a lot of "sneaky” apps kids can download for chat rooms and gaming that Bark may not integrate with for monitoring. If your child is determined to get around your parental blocks, it seems like they'd figure out a way to do that with this system. However, for younger teens and children, this might be a great option. We highly recommend looking into this company and using their free trial to see if it is what you need.
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The 12 Best Internet Filters
What is the Best Internet Filter?
More than ever, parents are looking for a reliable internet filter to protect their children from pornography and other explicit content that is readily available online. Harmful content can be found through nearly any platform or gaming site and whether an internet user is looking for it or not, offensive images and information are constantly being programmed to make their way into the safety of your home.
Understanding some statistics about the pornography industry will send nearly any sane person into shock. The industry is grossly manipulative and exists to harm individuals at every age and stage of life through their physical and verbal portrayals of relationships. They often show drug use and illegal activity related to minors.
Internet Filter FAQ
Continued from above...
Over $3,075 is spent on porn every second on the internet - and nearly 35% of all downloads are related to pornography. 34% or more (we would gamble that this statistic is much lower than reality) of people say they have been exposed to unwanted content through ads, misdirected links, popups, and emails. It is especially dangerous for children who are learning to use the internet, as they trust innocent-looking games and chat rooms online, then quickly become addicted to explicit content.
Thousands of new porn sites are created every week and the amount of easily-accessible, inappropriate content is staggering. To protect families, it requires a combination of strict rules and expectations for internet use as well as top-rated internet blockers to filter out content. Thankfully, there are quite a few companies working hard to develop systems to combat the harmful effects of the pornography industry and other individuals who seek to hurt members of your family.
Since there are many companies that offer internet filtering services, we have provided important information for you to consider when shopping around:
- Features: How specific can you get with the content you want blocked? Are you only able to block certain websites or are you able to limit file-sharing services, chatrooms, gaming sites, and more? Are they child-proof in that you'll be able to stay in control of the settings you choose?
- Customer support: If you need help setting up the internet blocker, do they have assistance readily available for you? Make sure their team is committed to helping you use their product to its fullest and cover all your bases with your filters.
- Cost: Your family is worth every penny you'll spend on an internet blocker, but be sure to do your homework by comparing the cost of one service to another. Are you locked into contracts for months or even years? Do you have to pay extra if you need help with questions about the service?
TopConsumerReviews.com has reviewed and ranked the best internet filter services today. We hope this information helps you find a solution you're confident with to protect you and your family.
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