Filtering and Monitoring Internet Content: A Primer for Helping Professionals

Helping professionals are often in the position to offer guidance on how best to protect individuals, couples, and families from dangerous and/or inappropriate content on the Internet and other technological devices. However, they often do not have current data on blocking, filtering, and monitoring methods available to offer such protection. The purpose of this article is twofold. First, it is designed to educate helping professionals on how many of the latest blocking, filtering, and monitoring technologies operate. As new products become available, the helping professional should easily be able to understand how the product works, and then make judgment about its appropriateness for their respective client. Second, specific sample products are named to give the helping professional an immediate list of possible options for clients, keeping in mind that the list of products is constantly evolving. At the completion of reading this article, the helping professional should be equipped to help clients understand their options when considering blocking, filtering, and/or monitoring software.