Tibboh, a new internet service provider, has launched in the UK with film-style age ratings to protect youngsters from inappropriate content. ISP Tibboh has worked with the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to categorise some three billion web addresses. However, thousands of new ratings will be added every day. Parents select the filter level […]
Tibboh, a new internet service provider, has launched in the UK with film-style age ratings to protect youngsters from inappropriate content. ISP Tibboh has worked with the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to categorise some three billion web addresses. However, thousands of new ratings will be added every day.
Parents select the filter level they require – U, PG, 12, 15 or 18 – on behalf of their children. For example, popular social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter and MySpace receive a 12 rating but online casinos and bookmakers’ websites are slapped with an 18 certificate. News websites including the BBC, the Telegraph and the Guardian along with computer giants Apple and Microsoft have a “U” certificate, meaning they are suitable for all. Sky and Virgin Media however are rated PG, along with web browser Mozilla. Blogging hosts Blogger and WordPress are given a “15” rating.
1/5/2010
It is currently only available as a 3G mobile internet service. Users need a dongle to access Tibboh, and they can register various profiles for different family members.
However each user must be connected via the dongle in order to access their profile, and it will not over-ride existing wireless or cable broadband connections.
There is a monthly charge of £19.99 for the service, which has a 15 gigabyte data limit.
Because Tibboh exists in the cloud, rather than on a user’s hard drive, the software is updated automatically with new classifications available in real time.
Andrew Cooke, of the BBFC, said: “We’ve been working very closely with Tibboh and have helped them to develop bespoke criteria which match our standards.
“Parents often find themselves in the unenviable position of having to lay down the law in a digital universe they barely understand. Our classifications are understood and trusted by UK parents and they are based on our unique understanding of child development and parental expectations.”
A number of schools are already using the Tibboh service to access the internet.
Martin Large, CEO of Tibboh, said: “Tibboh marks the internet’s coming of age as a service. If the internet were built today, Tibboh’s functionality would be a standard feature. I predict that in a couple of years’ time, no one will dream of giving their children unfettered access to the internet.”
www.tibboh.co.uk
