WebCurfew, an internet control service and a 2013 TechStars alum, announced Monday that it is offering another tool for parents to keep their children on appropriate internet sites.
The Chicago-based company has launched WebSafeguards, a tool that allows parents to easily block specific websites on any device connected to the home's wireless router. WebSafeguards provides lists of more than 60 categories of web content, such as porn and violence, than can be blocked from the entire household. WebCurfew Vice President of Business Development Alberto Moriondo said the new WebSafeguards feature makes the company the most complete internet control service in the market. WebCurfew also allows parents to set timers to when their kids can access the internet and can turn the internet off completely with the tap of a button.
"What we can do that others can't is since we have our timer infrastructure, parents can block content at certain periods of time," Moriono said. "If homework time is between 4-7 p.m., parents can block YouTube and Facebook but still allow children to go on Wikipedia and other researching sites. Nobody else can currently offer that."
WebCurfew works by using cloud technology to control all of the devices in a home that use the Wifi router. Currently it offers both WebAccess, the internet on/off service, and its recently launched WebSafeguards to users free of charge, and it charges monthly rates to automate the experience with its timer service.
"The ability to regain control is a common theme I've [heard from parents]," Moriondo said. "You want to make sure your kids are protected and safe. From 7-years-old and up, kids are getting devices much earlier. You don't want them to be wandering around on the internet. You wouldn't let your kids wander around on the street."
WebCurfew is in the middle of a seed round with a goal of raising $1 million, Moriondo said. He added that while the company is currently focused on providing household internet control, the technology could be expanded to schools down the road. Looking even further into the future, Moriono said the company could become a platform for home automation.
"We think down the road, once we become a trusted brand in the home, people will trust us to be a partner in managing gadgets that they want to turn on and off," he said.
Photo via WebCurfew
