What are those little eyes watching?

Saturday 03 February 2018

Kids have a greater grasp of technology than ever, but do all parents know what those little eyes are watching?

With that in mind, Airtel-Vodafone is helping parents keep control on what their children see on electronic devices, and led the way back in 2014 through launching a free opt-in service that block access to adult sites, simply by changing a setting.

They are now hosting a lunchtime event at the Digital Hub on 6 February for Safer Internet Day to give parents and carers top tips on keeping children and young people safe online. The event is free and parents are invited to register online. 

Available to its contract customers, Airtel Protect works by switching the way in which the device accesses the internet so that a ‘security gateway’ is created. Every webpage address is checked by Cisco Reputation Servers before access is permitted and, if the page is deemed unsuitable, a notification appears on the screen saying access was not possible.

Pictured: The Airtel-Vodafone team delivering an e-safety presentation at FCJ school in 2014.  

Peter Zunino, Head of Marketing at Airtel-Vodafone explains: "Parents can often feel daunted by the pace of change in technology, particularly as mobile is well established as the platform of choice for accessing the internet. As a responsible mobile provider we have long taken the lead in this area through initiatives such as our free online filtering system Airtel-Vodafone Protect, and educational resources through our partners Vodafone.

"We’re delighted to be partnering the States of Jersey Police and Digital Jersey at our event on Tuesday 6 February, to offer practical advice to stay safe online when using mobile devices."

Mr Zunino will be at the Digital Hub, in Grenville Street, on 6 February from 13:00 to 14:00 with Chris Ingham, Crime Reduction Officer from the Community Policing Team to give some tips on internet safety. Parents are invited to bring along their mobiles and devices so and the Airtel-Vodafone team will help set up safety systems.  Refreshments and light bites are provided by Airtel-Vodafone.