Content filters: some unresolved issues

Content filters are a must tool for parents who want to minimize their children's exposure to harmful content (pornography, extreme violence, drugs, racism, sexism, gambling, apology of terrorism, etc). Although they have greatly improved over the last years, parents need to be aware of two issues:

• Underblocking and overblocking: filters still make mistakes, that is, they miss bad content or unduly block good content.

• Web 2.0: the fast pace at which content is now posted by end users and its uncontrolled sources are a huge challenge to identifying harmful content.

Content filters are not enough to keep your kids safe in the Internet. They don't substitute education on how to stay safe, continuous parent-child communication and efficient parental supervision.