New Targets

iPhones, Kids and Security

By Kim Boatman

Did your tween or teen joyfully rip the wrapping paper off a new iPhone or iPod Touch this holiday season? If so, it might have been best to wrap that present in a bit of caution tape.

Children have unprecedented online access these days through the iPhone, iPod Touch and "smart" phones. But while parents are trained to think about how their kids access and use computers at home, we often don’t bring the same concerns to iPhones and similar devices.

"I think parents should be aware, should be informed and should be worried," says Patrick Gilbert, father of 11- and 13-year-old girls who use iPhones and the CEO of Scottsdale, Ariz.-based 4SmartPhone, a company that lets users sync information between their phones and computers. "At the end of the day, that phone is no different from the computer, except they can do it literally anywhere."

How to protect your kid -- and your wallet

It's not just your child's innocence that is at stake when she has unfettered access on an iPhone or iPod Touch or other device. Your kid's penchant for downloading dozens of songs and applications can be a costly proposition.

Fortunately, you have access to a number of safeguards. Experts say taking these steps will help make your child's experience more secure:

1. Check out Apple's free parental controls. Too often, parents simply hand kids an iPhone or iPod Touch. Even the most technophobe parents among us should take time to check out these powerful tools at our disposal, says Tony Bove, author of iPod and iTunes for Dummies and publisher of iPhone app Tony's Tips for iPhone Users. "Ninety percent of parents are probably going to be happy just turning off their kid's access to the iTunes store," Bove says.

   But you can do that and much more. Tap Settings, then General, then Restrictions. You'll be asked to set a four-digit code. Once you set a code, you can then decide whether to enable or disable the Safari Web browser, YouTube access, iTunes store access, the ability to install applications, and the camera. You'll also be able to restrict content based on rating systems set up for each country.

2. Buy a parental control app. Visit the iTunes store and type in parental controls in the search engine. You'll find a selection of parental control software, most available at modest cost, though some cost more than the typical iTunes app. Apps such as iWonder Surf offer alternative, safe Web browsers, says Bove. Mobicip is another popular parental control. Look for a control that lets you adjust the setting according to your child's age. Parental control apps may also have the capability of allowing you to remotely monitor websites your child has visited. "The best protection is to install robust parental control software that provides you with features to protect your children and monitor what or where they are surfing," says Michael Cafarelli, president of GuardChild, which aggregates information about family Web safety for its members and sells software.

3. Use a single iTunes account. Gilbert's family shares an iTunes account, allowing the parents to keep an eye on what their daughters are loading to their iPhones.

4. Do your research. Your tween or teen is likely far more comfortable with technology than you are. As Gilbert points out, his 13-year-old's first phone was a smartphone. Kids understand technology and often attempt to find ways to circumvent parental supervision and parental controls. Keep up by searching YouTube videos for ways kids hide information on their devices, advises Cafarelli. Subscribe to RSS feeds offering regular updates from technology news sites. For instance, you can subscribe to news from NetFamilyNews, which offers information about family-related tech safety.

5. Subscribe to Smart Limits for Wireless. For $4.99 per month per line, you can determine a lot about how your child uses his AT&T mobile phone (the iPhone is tied exclusively to AT&T). You can set limits to the number of texts and instant messages, who the phone can call or text and the dollar amount of downloadable ringtones and games.

Of course, the best tool at your disposal is your ongoing relationship with your child. Gilbert discusses news stories about privacy, social networking and the appropriate use of digital devices with his daughters. "We are strict parents. We try to have rules enforced, but we also establish a trust relationship, whether for the iPhone or anything else," he says.