Devices and methods for improving web safety and deterrence of cyberbullying

Abstract

Devices, systems, and methods for allowing parents to view and track smart phone activities of their children can include one or more child software modules. The module can be installed on each child's smart phone. The module can access and extract data from or about more than one of the smart phone's other software applications, including at least two of the following: a texting application, a social media application, an image application that facilitates transmission or reception of images, and a web browser application. The module can further send the extracted data to an analysis server. The module can also monitor location data. Moreover, the system can include an analysis server that can identify potentially harmful language, images, and websites. Further, the system can include a parent portal. The parent portal can receive results from the analysis server.

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         7 . A computing device comprising:
 a communications module configured for receiving and sending communications data;   a location determining module configured to identify a location of the computing device;   a memory device comprising a mobile safety module stored thereon as computer-executable instructions, wherein the mobile safety module is configured to analyze content of the communications data and block one or more functions of the communications module; and   a hardware processor configured to implement the mobile safety module by executing the computer-executable instructions to at least:
 intercept sent or received communications from the communications module; 
 access computing device data comprising the sent or received communications from the computing device; 
 send the computing device data to a control system, which analyzes intercepted communications to determine whether to filter or block intercepted communications; and 
 receives a command from the control system based in part on analysis of the sent computing device data, wherein the command comprises an instruction to block or filter the intercepted communications. 
   
     
     
         8 . The computing device of  claim 7 , wherein computing device data further comprises the location of the computing device determined by the location determining module. 
     
     
         9 . The computing device of  claim 7 , wherein said command further comprises one or more of the following:
 activate the location determining module;   disable the location determining module;   disable the communications module;   activate the communications module; and   selectively deactivate one or features of the computing device for a predetermined time period.   
     
     
         10 . The computing device of  claim 7 , wherein the hardware processor is configured to implement the mobile safety module by executing the computer-executable instructions to further: provide an alert to another computing device based at least in part on the filter or block intercepted communications. 
     
     
         11 . The computing device of  claim 7 , wherein the intercepted communications comprises illicit content at least one of profanity, inappropriate images, explicit sexual language, or aggressive language. 
     
     
         12 . The computing device of  claim 7 , wherein the communication module is associated with at least one of: a text messaging, a video, a multimedia messaging, or an email application of the computing device. 
     
     
         13 . The computing device of  claim 7 , wherein blocking the intercepted communications comprises one or more of the following:
 not storing the communication in the computing device's memory;   preventing the communications module from transmitting the communications;   not showing the intercepted communications on the computing device;   deleting the intercepted communications;   responding with a message that indicates the message was not received and the future messages will also be blocked;   re-routing the message to a parent computing system; or   responding with an automatically-generated message;   
     
     
         14 . The computing device of  claim 7 , wherein filtering the intercepted communications comprises one or more of the following:
 removing some or all content of the intercepted communication;   substituting some content of the intercepted communication;   redacting images;   censoring images;   substituting images;   completely deleting harmful or bullying messages from the computing device; or   re-routing harmful or bullying messages to a parent computing system through a user interface module of the parent computing system.   
     
     
         15 . The computing device of  claim 7 , wherein the communication data further comprises an indication that a new application is installed on the computing device and the command further comprises an instruction by the parent computing system to cause the computing device to remove the new application from the computing device. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 intercepting sent or received communications from a communications module of a computing device;   access computing device data comprising the sent or received communications from the computing device;   send the computing device data to a control system, which analyzes intercepted communications to determine whether to filter or block intercepted communications; and   receives a command from the control system based in part on analysis of the sent computing device data, wherein the command comprises an instruction to block or filter the intercepted communications.   
     
     
         17 . method of  claim 16 , wherein computing device data further comprises the location of the computing device determined by the location determining module. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said command further comprises one or more of the following:
 activate the location determining module;   disable the location determining module;   disable the communications module;   activate the communications module; and   selectively deactivate one or features of the computing device for a predetermined time period.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein further comprising providing an alert to another computing device based at least in part on the filter or block intercepted communications. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the intercepted communications comprises illicit content at least one of profanity, inappropriate images, explicit sexual language, or aggressive language. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the communication module is associated with at least one of: a text messaging, a video, a multimedia messaging, or an email application of the computing device. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein blocking the intercepted communications comprises one or more of the following:
 not storing the communication in the computing device's memory;   preventing the communications module from transmitting the communications;   not showing the intercepted communications on the computing device;   deleting the intercepted communications;   responding with a message that indicates the message was not received and the future messages will also be blocked;   re-routing the message to a parent computing system; or   responding with an automatically-generated message;   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein filtering the intercepted communications comprises one or more of the following:
 removing some or all content of the intercepted communication;   substituting some content of the intercepted communication;   redacting images;   censoring images;   substituting images;   completely deleting harmful or bullying messages from the computing device; or   re-routing harmful or bullying messages to a parent computing system through a user interface module of the parent computing system.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the communication data comprises an indication that a new application is installed on the computing device and the command further comprises an instruction by the parent computing system to cause the computing device to remove the new application from the computing device. 
     
     
         25 . A computing device comprising:
 a communications module configured for receiving and sending communications data;   a memory device comprising a controller module stored thereon as computer-executable instructions, wherein the controller module is configured to retrieve and analyze content of the communications data and block one or more functions of one or more controlled communications modules;   a hardware processor configured to implement the controller module by executing the computer-executable instructions to at least:
 select notification settings for activities on a child computing device, wherein the notification settings can be configured to control where to send notification data, when to send notification data, the method of sending notification data; 
 alter the selected notification settings based on an input from a user of the computing device; 
 receive notification data based on the selected notification settings; and 
 send command data to control an operation of a controlled computing device based in part on analysis of the sent computing device data, wherein the command comprises an instruction to block or filter one or more functions on the computing device. 
   
     
     
         26 . The computing device of  claim 25 , wherein the hardware processor is further configured to execute an administrative portal which causes an application to be removed from the child computing device in response to another input from the user of the computing device.