ith the purpose of protecting your children in mind, we remind you that it is your responsibility as a parent to take the time and follow this step-by-step explanation on how to set your computer's parameters so that they cannot access certain web sites. It would be a good idea to print this page in order to follow the step-by-step instructions. You can use a low quality print if you like. The page should still be readable and this will not waste any ink.

1. Installing the Navigation Filter

Certain access providers such as AOL directly integrate child protection tools. If you have this option with your access provider, we suggest that you contact them for further information and assistance in order for you to correctly set your computer’s parameters and protect your child.

If this is not the case, please follow the steps below. The whole process should only take a couple of minutes.

When you install a filter, you need to make some changes in your navigator's (or browser the software used to surf the Internet) parameters. First of all, you must use Internet Explorer. It is the only browser that has the tools necessary to block out all undesirable Internet sites. Internet Explorer is furnished with all Windows Operating Systems and is available for Macintosh, too. If you need to download a copy of the latest Internet Explore you may do so here. If you are using any other type of browser that cannot be configured correctly, you must remove them from your computer so that your children won't be at risk.

Once your ready with Internet Explorer, please follow these steps:

1- At the top of your browser, please select Tools then Internet Options as shown in the screen shot below.

2 - Choose Content then, in the first box called Content Advisor click on the button Enable as pictured in the screenshot below.




3- Choose Ratings then select a category in the rating levels as shown below. Choose Sex. Once you have selected the category you must adjust the slider below to the maximum so that your browser can view nothing pertaining to sex. Please make sure that it is adjusted to the specific level.

4 - At the top, click General. You need to tick the box in User Options that is marked "Supervisor can type a password to allow users to view restricted content" then click Create Password as shown in the screenshot below.

5 - A dialogue box like below will then appear. You need to choose a password then confirm it. If you think you might forget the password you can always create a hint so that you can remember the password in the future. Once you have chosen your password and confirmed it click OK.

Your Brower is now filtering the undesired content you chose. Your child can access no sites without disabling the filter, which would require the password you selected.

2. A couple of further suggestions

The filter doesn't absolve you from the responsibility of watching over your children whenever they surf the Internet. Not all makers of adult sites are scrupulous enough to put in the necessary parameters in their pages and some of these pages could pass through the filtering system!

However, this is no reason to panic. A child surfing the Internet and using words that a child would use to find the information he or she is looking for practically has no chance of encountering any adult content. These two worlds are quite effectively partitioned and the filtering techniques are becoming more and more apt to only give people access to adult sites that are actually looking for adult content. Accidentally stumbling onto adult content is becoming more and more rare.

Just like you wouldn't want let your children watch late night or cable television on their own, never let them surf the Internet by themselves either.