Lockdown, at&t, cellphones, disney mobile, iphone, parental controls, smart limits

AT&T Introduces Pay-For-Play Parental Controls for Cell Phones

AT&T's mobile division is going to follow Disney Mobile and others by introducing its "Smart Limits" parental controls: parents use a web interface to set call blocking, calling hours, text message and download limits. But unlike many similar child-protection systems, this one will cost users $4.99 per month—per kid.

Like Disney's built-in parental controls, AT&T lets parents' own numbers remain immune from the limitations, and 911 calling is always permitted of course.

Websites can also be blocked on many phones, but not on the iPhone, because of the way its Safari browser uses the AT&T network connection. (Basically, the only phone that doesn't have browser limitations is the only phone that has a decent enough browser for actually surfing the good, I mean illicit, sites.) [AP/Yahoo]

9:29 AM on Tue Sep 4 2007
By Wilson Rothman
2,583 views
9 comments

Comments

xenobread at 09:41 AM on 09/04/07
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So how does the technology works to charge them per kid? Oh, or you mean per phone? Damn kids with their cell phones these days...I would just give them pagers.
Wilson Rothman at 09:57 AM on 09/04/07
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@xenobread: Yep, AT&T charges $4.99 per phone, and I'm assuming each kid had a phone. Surely any self-respecting kid over the age of 13 would.
Vjeszczi at 09:58 AM on 09/04/07
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Who in their right mind would give their child an iPhone to begin with?
blork at 10:58 AM on 09/04/07
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This isn't new; there's a product called Parent Patrol that does the same thing (www.parent-patrol.com). The difference is that Parent Patrol hasn't been picked up by many carriers yet, although a three or four are launching it in the next few months.
BigDanInTX at 11:08 AM on 09/04/07
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Just get them a Firefly and you won't have to worry about ANY of that! lmao
axiomatic at 11:12 AM on 09/04/07
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I gave my 14 year old daughter an iPhone. Her ipod died recently and we were going to get her a cellphone for her freshman year in high school so in truth we only spent an extra $100 to put the two devices together in to a 4gb iPhone.

It's excessive yes, but she is showing excellent responsibility with the device and has gained some "street geek cred" with her friends. ;-)
Bauhaus at 01:16 PM on 09/04/07
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My favorite thing is this: you have to pay an extra $60 per year to let them cripple the phone for you.
IvyIsis at 02:51 PM on 09/04/07
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If you know teenagers, $60 per year is DEAL compared to the insanity that could be printed as the cost on your bill after they've gone over the minute limit AND the text messaging limit. Kids text message all day, every day. In class, while driving (scary!), wherever...
From: WWW.SILICONVALLEYWATCH...: TRACKBACK at 03:49 PM on 09/04/07
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iPod with OS X? [News.com] If the persistent rumors are fulfilled Wednesday during the latest episode of The Steve Jobs Show (a product presentation at San Francisco's Moscone Center), the iPod is about to get a whole lot more powerful.