Monday, June 5th
2023 Internet Filter Reviews
Family Zone
- Supported on iOS, Mac OSX, Android, Windows, and Chrome OS
- Only $1.99/year
- Unlimited device protection
- 30-day money back guarantee
Based out of San Diego, California, Family Zone is an internet safety solution that aims to let kids take part in online fun without the risk of running into adult content. They say "Family Zone lets kids be kids - and empowers parents to be parents." They also have a sister site called Linewize that caters to school communities to help teachers keep kids focused and away from inappropriate content while working online.
Manage digitally with 8 main features
There are 8 main features included with Family Zone to manage your kid's digital world: limiting screen time, blocking adult content, limiting social media, having unfiltered parental access, limiting online gaming, tracking all smart devices, managing in-app purchases, and setting bed and study times. Family Zone is supported on iOS, Mac OSX, Android, Windows, and Chrome OS.
Looking for more details
On Family Zone's website, potential customers can view screenshots of the platform to see what the included features look like. Everything can be managed from your own smartphone. Parents can deny access to certain websites and apps as well as device features like the camera or screen capture. Family Zone says that parents can receive alerts and reports for each child. Our only complaint here is that although all these features and abilities sound great, we really would like to see Family Zone dive deeper into the details of what the platform can do. For example, what's included in the report? What would parents get alerted about? When it says that adult content is removed for safe searching, does that mean bad websites are blocked? Or pornographic images simply don't show up on the screen? Family Zone doesn't give important details like this.
Extremely affordable
Pricing is where Family Zone really shines. They are a lot less expensive than many competing services. They have a free visibility and online monitoring app called "Family Zone Insights" that's completely free. This includes screen time reports, alerts for adult content, monitoring of online behavior, and device location history. You'll get a lot more with the "Family Zone Premium" option that's only $6.99/month or with a "limited time offer" just $1.99/year. In addition to everything in the Family Zone Insights package, Premium includes managing screen time, blocking adult content, controlling social media access, managing app downloads, managing iTunes, new app installation alert, device tampering alert, managing phone camera, controlling access to specific apps, unlimited device protection, cyber expert advice, and a 30-day money back guarantee. For $1.99/year, it just can't be beat.
Get expert help
Cyber experts are available to chat with customers about a number of things related to digital safety. They can give professional advice about age-appropriate controls for sites, games, and social media as well as helping set practical schedules and calendars to fit your family's screen-time needs.
Mixed reviews
Family Zone has mixed feedback from customers and unfortunately the company hasn't been accredited or rated by the Better Business Bureau. We noticed that many of the bad reviews of the app come from kids who don't like their parents restricting so much access to their smart devices and controlling their screen time. This is somewhat to be expected regardless of the internet filter in question. However, some parents have said that their kids quickly got around the system and it was a waste since it was too easy to hack. It's best for young children who don't have advanced technological skills yet. Others say it blocks more websites than it should and parents are constantly having to give access even for educational materials, and the service tends to drain your device's battery and slow down the operating system. There were a few people that said it was a good option for parents and gave enough controls, but this was the minority of customers.
Can't compete
Overall, we aren't confident in the efficacy and quality of Family Zone. It seems like it still could use some work to be more foolproof and the company could do a better job of educating parents about exactly how their system works. Luckily it's not expensive, so if you try Family Zone and aren't happy with it, you haven't lost much. It doesn't quite compete with the higher-rated internet filter companies in our review, so Family Zone has earned one of our lower ratings.
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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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