Microsoft to debut child safety controls on Windows Live

By Steve Malone

Posted on 14 Mar 2006 at 10:28

Microsoft is to introduce a new generation of parental controls and other safety measures designed to safeguard children on the Internet. The company says that it will be providing a new set of features to provide protection for the growing Windows Live family of online applications.

'Family Safety Settings provides Web filtering that will allow customers to choose to allow, block or warn settings for a range of content categories,' said Ryan Hamlin, general manager of Microsoft's Technology Care and Safety group. 'Parents will be able to access activity reports for each user in the family, any time from any PC, to help them stay informed about how their children are browsing the Web or communicating online'

The announcement is another piece in the rapidly growing mosaic of features and functions which come under the umbrella of Windows Live. Although the Windows Live services have, so far, been aimed mostly at 'community' type functions such as Mail and Messenger, Microsoft is acutely aware how these tools can be used by those wishing to target children on the Internet.

Microsoft says it has consulted with various child-centred organisations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, to provide guidance on developing age appropriate settings for various online activities. It will also be posting advice on how parents can talk to their children about their online activities and the potential dangers.

The first line of defence will be content filtering tools. Parents can choose settings to 'allow,' 'block' or 'warn' for a range of content categories with individual controls set for each member of the family. The filtering settings will be enforced when a user logs on to Windows Live on a PC that is running Microsoft's Family Safety Settings. Parents will be able to review and adjust settings online anytime from any PC to help meet the family's evolving needs. Microsoft says that the settings can be applied to web pages, email or messenger communications as well as Windows Live Spaces. In addition, the software can be used to block any communication from someone that the child does not know.

Parents will be able to access activity reports for each user in the family, at any time from any PC connected to the Internet, to help them stay informed about how their children are browsing the Web or communicating online.

Family Safety Settings will be available for any PC running Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or with the upcoming Windows Vista operating system. According to Microsoft, it expects to begin making the service available to 'Windows Live customers in dozens of countries worldwide' by this summer.