Windows 11 and Windows 10 come with a Parental Control feature that is designed to ensure your children cannot view things they shouldn’t. It’s a powerful system, but that doesn’t mean a smart child cannot find ways to bypass it. In this article, we will look at how your child could escape parental control to use the internet in its entirety.
How kids bypass and get around Parental Controls
The following are some of the ways children can easily slip through the parental control system. Read in order to have an idea of what to do next.
- Virtual Private Network (VPN)
- Proxy websites
- Use of a different Wi-Fi network
- Changing the Parental Control password
- TOR Web Browser
1] Virtual Private Network (VPN)
One of the easiest ways a child can bypass your parental controls, whether it be on Windows 11/10 or other platforms, is by taking full advantage of a free VPN. Your child could use it to bypass Netflix restrictions in their region, but that also means they would have access to the full internet.
Bear in mind that a Virtual Private Network can circumvent your parental control filters and, in addition, the IP address will not appear in the logs.
2] Proxy websites
A proxy website works similarly to a VPN in many ways. You see, if a website is blocked on a network, it is possible to visit a site such as hide.me, then enter the blocked web address and hit the Go button to visit.
From there, the proxy site will route the request to a remote server that collects the content on the user’s behalf. This is a problem for parental control software because many cannot trace communications from a proxy site. However, the proxy site will appear in the filter, so at least parents will have an idea.
3] Use of a different Wi-Fi network
Imagine a situation where your neighbor does not have a secured Wi-Fi network? Your child could easily connect to that network instead of your own. Doing this will completely break your plans, especially if your neighbor does not have a parental control system in place.
This would be a difficult situation to address, but, like all situations of this nature, it can be resolved.
4] Changing the Parental Control password
A solid parental control system typically includes a password that must be strong. A weak password could allow your children to guess it and bypass the system at will.
If your child is tech-savvy, then this will likely become a major problem.
5] TOR Web Browser
OK, so the TOR Browser, which is based on Mozilla Firefox, is one of the most used by folks who want to reroute their web traffic through a different location that is not their own. Children with the necessary knowledge can use this browser with ease.
If they are unable to install it on their computer, they can deploy TOR from a USB drive. From there, it would be impossible for your parental control filters to ascertain what the child is viewing.
What can you do as a parent?
Kids today are tech-savvy, and there is nothing much you can do! Determining how to ensure your child does not have full control over the internet is challenging.
The best option is to educate your children about the dangers of the internet. Communication is key, and if you can do it effectively, then you should have few problems. It is not the easiest method, as it requires significant time and effort, along with immense patience.
Education on the respectable and acceptable use of the internet should be done from an early age, not when they’ve hit their teenage years.
Furthermore, do you need to get your child the latest gadget? In most situations, a simple tablet is all they need.
Read: Best free Parental Control Software for Windows PC.
How do Parental Controls work?
Parental controls are software and hardware features designed to restrict and monitor online activity. There are a variety of parental control programs available. Some are free, while others require either a one-time or subscription payment.
Is Parental Control good?
The benefits of parental controls are very clear. They can provide users with peace of mind, knowing their children are protected from internet dangers. However, such programs are not 100 percent effective. We believe communicating and teaching your child about the internet are great ways to ensure they do not get lost in the depths of the web.
