"How do I protect my children on the Internet?" is a question that has been repeated ad nauseam, and with the widespread presence of mobile devices, it is more valid than ever. A typical mistake is to let the computer handle "all" parental control, but a "good" starting point is the moderation of results. Kiddle is a search engine that combines the effort of editors with the basic functions of Google Safe Search to provide safe content to the little ones at home.
I have said it before, and I will repeat it: Parental control needs help. Any parent who views this function as a magic and perfect filter is making a mistake. The Web changes constantly, and a link that in theory seems safe could lead tomorrow to content that is not entirely suitable. For this reason alone, it is inappropriate to place all our trust in an automatic solution, even though there are options with very high quality. Needless to say, search engines are the main windows of the Web, and with a "prudent handling" of their results, the overall effort should be less. That said, let's make room for Kiddle.
At first glance, Kiddle is a search engine like any other, but the enormous difference in its results tells us that it depends both on Google Safe Search and on a group of editors that is responsible for verifying the main links. Kiddle offers no option to disable Safe Search (that would nullify its purpose), and in certain cases it prefers to fall on the conservative side. For example, "death" is a blocked keyword, and any other combination that contains it will also return negative results. This apparent severity in searches makes it clear that Kiddle targets an audience of seven years old or younger, although I imagine an adult will need less than ten minutes to find the first cracks in its armor.
A positive aspect of Kiddle is that it does not collect personal information, and all logs associated with searches are deleted within 24 hours. That is approximately the same time that Kiddle's managers take to process an inappropriate content report. Finally, there is no doubt that Kiddle's priority is the English language. Although it blocks several critical words in Spanish, its results often lead to other search engines, and once outside the sandbox, the little user can do whatever they want.
