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Posted Monday, May 21, 2012 by Dave Thornton in Android General
 
 

(UK) Vodafone Guardian SIM card app to help parents protect children from bullying


The Bemilo system, to be run on the Vodafone network, offers a service for parents to prevent their children from going online, texting or calling during certain hours.
Unlike an app, a child will not be able to switch the service off.
The UK’s Family and Parenting Institute said the SIM would help protect children from mobile phone bullying.

To have the service, parents would need to buy a “safety pack” with a SIM card inside, install it into the child’s phone and use it on a pay-as-you-go basis, from £2.95 per month.

“It’s a SIM that is just like any other SIM you would buy for any other network, but it enables parents to have full control in the context of safety,”

Simon Goff, founder and chairman of Bemilo, told the BBC.

“They can allow or disallow certain contacts to call them, and they can set the times of day the phone can operate.”

Introducing the Vodafone apps

Vodafone has launched two apps to protect children and young people and to empower and inform parents as smartphones play an increasingly important role in how families manage their daily lives.

Vodafone Guardian

The new Vodafone Guardian app helps to keep children safer when using a smartphone.
As part of Vodafone’s commitment to supporting parents in encouraging their children’s safe and responsible use of digital technology, it has launched the Vodafone Guardian app for use on a range of Android devices.
Vodafone Guardian helps parents to manage their child’s smartphone by providing protection from inappropriate calls, messages and online content.

The app enables parents to:

  • Block specific contacts or mobile phone numbers to prevent bullying text messages or calls
  • Transfer bullying text messages to a secure folder on the phone that could be used as evidence with the child’s school or the police
  • Restrict outgoing calls to named contacts, such as Mum, Dad or specific friends
  • Specify times during which their child can make or receive calls, use apps, access the Web and use the camera

The app includes:

  • An overview of some of the technologies young people use at different ages
  • Information and advice about important issues, such as managing online reputation, mobile costs and sexting
  • A series of ‘How To’ guides to help parents make the most of privacy tools and parental controls on Facebook®, Google, Microsoft and Vodafone
  • A ‘How To’ guide for the Vodafone Guardian app, which helps to keep children safer when using a smartphone
  • A selection of videos about digital parenting

Supported handsets

  • HTC Desire
  • HTC Desire HD
  • HTC Explorer
  • HTC Magic
  • HTC Sensation (Z710e)
  • HTC Tattoo
  • HTC Wildfire
  • HTC Wildfire (A3333)
  • Huawei U8150 IDEOS
  • Huawei Vodafone 845
  • Samsung Galaxy 3 (GT-i5800)
  • Samsung Galaxy Europa (GT-i5500)
  • Samsung Galaxy Gio (S5660)
  • Samsung Galaxy Mini (S5570)
  • Samsung Galaxy S (GTi9000)
  • Samsung Ace (GT-S5830)
  • Sony Ericsson Arc
  • Sony Ericsson X10 Mini Pro
  • Sony Ericsson X10i
  • Sony Ericsson Xperia X8

Source: BBC Tech, Vodafone/Parent and Vodafone Guardian

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Dave Thornton

Many yrs ago Dave was MSDN trained, a web designer and computer shop owner. Loves walking his dogs, Lab & Welsh border collie. Golden Retriever. Plenty of fields around where he lives in Dundee, Scotland and is 2 miles from the beach.

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