Subj : Parental control apps are falling out of favor, and experts say i
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Fri Apr 14 2023 18:15:03

Parental control apps are falling out of favor, and experts say its a problem

Date:
Fri, 14 Apr 2023 17:00:53 +0000

Description:
Downloads of parental control apps are slowly dwindling, and experts at 
NordVPN are issuing a warning.

FULL STORY
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Brits are losing interest in parental control apps , exposing not just their 
children, but also their own electronic devices, to malware. 

This is according to a new report from NordVPN , which states that the number 
of downloads of the most popular parental control and monitoring apps in the 
UK dropped by 1% in the first quarter of 2023. 

The VPN experts analyzed the download data for Microsoft Family Safety, 
Google Family Link, Qustodio Parental Control App, and FamiSafe-Parental 
Control App, and sounded the alarm after seeing the drop. To put things into 
perspective, last year these apps saw a 41% growth. Compared to 2021, the 
downloads of these five apps decreased by 2.40%, the researchers further 
stated. Just like the flu 

By losing interest in parental control apps, parents are not only exposing 
their children to various digital threats, but also their own devices, files, 
and digital identities. 

As explained by NordVPNs CTO, Marijus Briedis, the problem with malware is 
that it can quickly move from a childs infected device, over the home router, 
into otherwise defended endpoints. Even if it just remains within the router, 
thats still a major risk: Read more 

> Google Family Link gets location tracking plus better screen time limiting 
features 


 > Parental controls on Android: how to make a phone or tablet child friendly 


 > Here are the best malware removal tools right now 

"Parents forget that malware epidemiology works similarly to a flu or the 
coronavirus: even if you are careful and use protective measures, you still 
might get sick from your child who is not necessarily as cautious as you 
are," Briedis said. 

He added, "So while equipping your devices with cybersecurity solutions or 
trying to avoid malicious content and apps is a good first step, you should 
also track your children's behavior online and take other protective 
measures. Your home network is as secure as its most vulnerable part." 

To remain safe, parents should make sure their children's devices are 
properly protected, as well as remembering to regularly update their routers 
firmware and rename the network, also known as the SSID, from time to time. 

Still, most importantly, you have to protect all of your connected devices, 
especially those used by children," Briedis concluded. Here are the best 
firewalls



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/news/parental-control-apps-are-falling-out-of-favor-
and-experts-say-its-a-problem


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