The idea that Big Brother may be watching sends chills down most Web surfers' spines. But what about a piece of software that tattles on youthful surfers to their parents? Newly available software called NetSnitch monitors the sites a user visits and creates a log, but without blocking out any locations as most filtering software does.

Big Mother and Big Father Are Watching!
by Daniel Meisler, Medill News Service August 5, 1997 The idea that Big Brother may be watching sends chills down most Web surfers' spines. But what about a piece of software that tattles on youthful surfers to their parents? Newly available software called NetSnitch monitors the sites a user visits and creates a log, but without blocking out any locations as most filtering software does. Once installed, NetSnitch is automatically loaded on start-up. The application that displays the log is password-protected, so the spying can't go both ways. And since it's invisible to the user, parents can decide whether or not to tell their children that they are being watched. Bob Reardon, NetSnitch manager, said a sticker notifying users that their Web activity is being recorded is enclosed with the software. He said the software does not attempt to restrict access to any Web sites. "We believe in the First Amendment," said Reardon. "It puts power into the parents' hands." Most other Internet filtering devices have standards that block out certain sites designated by the software developer. "We don't feel it's a case of Big Brother," Reardon continued. "It's information, not censorship." But Shelley Pasnik, director of children's policy at the Center for Media Education, a nonprofit telecommunications think tank, said her impression of NetSnitch was not favorable. "The whole premise behind it pits child against adult," she said. "It is predicated on mistrust." Pasnik said accidental visiting of adult sites would not be explained by NetSnitch. For example, if a child searched for sites with the word "toys," sex-toy catalogs may be returned, and children "don't realize the other association," she said. "The system wouldn't allow for exploration," Pasnik said. "It's not the type of parental control that should be championed." Reardon said his company encourages parents not to monitor children secretly, but to use the warning sticker, letting the kids know they are being watched. That way, he said, children will practice "self-censorship." Reardon said sales have been brisk, with some corporate customers purchasing the software as well. NetSnitch costs $40.		High Court Strikes Down Anti-Pornography Law ETrust Aims To Protect Privacy On The Net Special Report: The Web and You: No Privacy on the Net •  E-Book Piracy •  Palm Virus •  Expertcity Revamped •  Cell Phone Safety •  RAM Center for Media Education NetSnitch