Netbox Blue boxes bullies

David Swan
Monday, 03 May 2010 11:27

Your IT - Home IT

Australia will continue to be at the front line of online child protection, with the release of new software SafeChat from Aussie company Netbox Blue.

 

The aim behind SafeChat is to help schools prevent bullying on the most popular social networking sites, including Facebook and Twitter, by blocking inappropriate language. SafeChat can be used at school and on school-owned laptops, even when they used are outside the network. It can also be used in a business environment to tackle cyber harassment.  

"SafeChat is a breakthrough in cyber safety," Netbox Blue Chairman John Fison said. "It’s particularly valuable because it offers schools and businesses control over the one area that has been outside their control in the past – social networking sites, instant messaging, chat sites and webmail."

"Social networking, instant messaging and other Web 2.0 type communications are now an integral part of education and business. Yet they have also become the “virtual toilet wall” of the modern world – a place for anyone to get their grievances off their chest, bully other students and even teachers and to criticize colleagues. SafeChat enables administrators to control the language used on popular sites to block bullying and other anti-social communications."

SafeChat is apparently the result of tens of thousands of hours of development by staff at Brisbane-based Netbox Blue. SafeChat scans the traffic stream on popular Web 2.0 applications against a customisable list of keywords to determine if the stream should be blocked and logged or allowed through. Policies can be set to determine what action will be taken if a keyword is used. Offensive material can be blocked and an administrator and parents automatically informed.  

Fison was excited about the possibilities of his new product. "SafeChat also enables administrators to prevent people posting negative comments about their school or business. In this way, SafeChat can help avoid reputational damage."

"SafeChat provides a means of ensuring applications like Facebook and Twitter can be used positively, flexibly and securely."

So where has SafeChat already been deployed, and has it been successful? Continue to the next page to find out.