http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/991209/ca_surfwat_1.html
Company Press Release
SOURCE: SurfWatch Software
SurfWatch Expands Filtering Criteria to Block Weapons Sites; New Core Filtering Criteria Will Help Keep Kids Safe Online
LOS GATOS, Calif., Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Internet filtering pioneer SurfWatch Software, a division of JSB Software Technologies plc., announced today that the company has expanded its filtering criteria to block Web sites related to the sale of weapons.
In November, SurfWatch began blocking ``sites that primarily sell guns, weapons, ammunition or poisonous substances and sites that allow online purchasing or ordering information, including lists of prices and dealer locations.'' In addition, SurfWatch now blocks ``any page or site predominantly containing, or providing links to, content related to the sale of guns, weapons, ammunition or poisonous substances.''
``SurfWatch's decision to block these sites was made in response to requests from parents and educators who are concerned about violence in schools and the effect that the web might play in enabling kids to obtain weapons,'' said Alexandra Salomon, Director of Content Management for SurfWatch Software.
Recent statistics compiled by SurfWatch show that there are more than 5,000 Web sites related to weapons and ammunition and that the number of sited blocked in the violence category increased by 22 percent over the last nine months, primarily due to the increase in gun and weapon sites online. In comparison, sexually explicit Web sites increased 16 percent in the same nine month period.
``The dramatic increase in sites that meet our violence criteria over the last year greatly concerned us,'' added Salomon.
``People who use a filtering solution like SurfWatch want to know that the sites they deem inappropriate -- and only those sites -- are blocked. While many of the sites on the Web can be wonderful tools for advancing a child's education and learning, parents and teachers need a technical solution to help shield youth from the 'dark side' of the Web. Software like SurfWatch empowers parents and teachers to do just that, by enabling them to block unwanted content on their child's computers,'' Salomon said.
SurfWatch continually updates its software to ensure that all inappropriate Web sites are blocked, and that outdated blocks are eliminated from the database. SurfWatch blocks sites in five core categories including sexually explicit, violent, hate, drugs/alcohol and gambling.
In 1997, SurfWatch became the first filtering company to form an Advisory Committee to review and publish the criteria it would use to filter web sites. The original policy blocked material in only four categories -- drugs/alcohol, gambling, sexually explicit and violence. In April 1998, a separate category was added to block hate speech.
Today, SurfWatch criteria are regularly reviewed by an Advisory Committee of parents, educators, law enforcement professionals, clergy and community members.
The committee has cited significant additions to their core criteria, including a decision earlier this year to block sites relating to violent games. As a leader in this field, SurfWatch is also providing the Governor's Advisory Panel on Hate Groups for the State of California with input on new approaches for combating hate on the Internet.
You can thank them for saving your children at -- info@surfwatch.com
Company Press Release
SOURCE: SurfWatch Software
SurfWatch Expands Filtering Criteria to Block Weapons Sites; New Core Filtering Criteria Will Help Keep Kids Safe Online
LOS GATOS, Calif., Dec. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Internet filtering pioneer SurfWatch Software, a division of JSB Software Technologies plc., announced today that the company has expanded its filtering criteria to block Web sites related to the sale of weapons.
In November, SurfWatch began blocking ``sites that primarily sell guns, weapons, ammunition or poisonous substances and sites that allow online purchasing or ordering information, including lists of prices and dealer locations.'' In addition, SurfWatch now blocks ``any page or site predominantly containing, or providing links to, content related to the sale of guns, weapons, ammunition or poisonous substances.''
``SurfWatch's decision to block these sites was made in response to requests from parents and educators who are concerned about violence in schools and the effect that the web might play in enabling kids to obtain weapons,'' said Alexandra Salomon, Director of Content Management for SurfWatch Software.
Recent statistics compiled by SurfWatch show that there are more than 5,000 Web sites related to weapons and ammunition and that the number of sited blocked in the violence category increased by 22 percent over the last nine months, primarily due to the increase in gun and weapon sites online. In comparison, sexually explicit Web sites increased 16 percent in the same nine month period.
``The dramatic increase in sites that meet our violence criteria over the last year greatly concerned us,'' added Salomon.
``People who use a filtering solution like SurfWatch want to know that the sites they deem inappropriate -- and only those sites -- are blocked. While many of the sites on the Web can be wonderful tools for advancing a child's education and learning, parents and teachers need a technical solution to help shield youth from the 'dark side' of the Web. Software like SurfWatch empowers parents and teachers to do just that, by enabling them to block unwanted content on their child's computers,'' Salomon said.
SurfWatch continually updates its software to ensure that all inappropriate Web sites are blocked, and that outdated blocks are eliminated from the database. SurfWatch blocks sites in five core categories including sexually explicit, violent, hate, drugs/alcohol and gambling.
In 1997, SurfWatch became the first filtering company to form an Advisory Committee to review and publish the criteria it would use to filter web sites. The original policy blocked material in only four categories -- drugs/alcohol, gambling, sexually explicit and violence. In April 1998, a separate category was added to block hate speech.
Today, SurfWatch criteria are regularly reviewed by an Advisory Committee of parents, educators, law enforcement professionals, clergy and community members.
The committee has cited significant additions to their core criteria, including a decision earlier this year to block sites relating to violent games. As a leader in this field, SurfWatch is also providing the Governor's Advisory Panel on Hate Groups for the State of California with input on new approaches for combating hate on the Internet.
You can thank them for saving your children at -- info@surfwatch.com