KidGuard
Initial release2016
Operating systemiOS and Android
TypeParental monitoring
Websitewww.kidguard.com

KidGuard is a parental monitoring application for iOS and Android mobile phones. The application uses proprietary software to help parents monitor their children’s text messages, browser history, social media activity, stored videos or photos, emails, and phone GPS location.

History

KidGuard was developed by a Los Angeles-based team and officially released in 2016. After KidGuard's launch, the application received coverage on ABC News and Inc. Magazine.[1][2]

In 2017, KidGuard partnered with the startup incubator OnRamp Lab, located in Taipei, Taiwan.[3] The same year, international security consultant Gene Yu joined the KidGuard advisory board to aid with kidnapping response and prevention measures.[4]

In 2020, Kidguard was the victim of a data breach which released customer data.[5]

Features

Following the software as a service model, KidGuard is run through a web application that allows a parent to view all activity on a child's phone, including:

  • Reading sent and received text messages, including deleted messages and texts sent via popular alternative messaging applications such as WhatsApp.
  • Accessing browser history, call history and application usage, including duration and frequency.
  • Viewing all photos and videos saved to a child's phone,
  • Using a smartphone's GPS to track location, as well as setting geo-fencing to alert parents.

KidGuard also includes a feature it calls a "Situation 360 Report," in which the application automatically creates a report to aid law enforcement in the event of a child's disappearance. The report includes a full profile of a child's recent locations, behavior and message history.[6]

Controversy

Critics have raised concerns about the potential capability of KidGuard and its competitors to violate privacy laws or to be used as a tool by stalkers and abusers.[7]

In May 2018, KidGuard was featured in a New York Times article which criticized the application's developers for running advertisements aimed at adults attempting to spy on their spouses or discover infidelity. After KidGuard was contacted for comment, a spokesman responded that these advertisements had been developed by a marketing partner. All content relating to infidelity was subsequently removed from the KidGuard website.[8]

Philanthropy

KidGuard maintains an annual "KidGuard for Education Essay Scholarship" for high school students in the United States. The scholarship is awarded to an undisclosed number of participants, based on the results of an essay content whose topics concern online safety and cyberbullying.[9]

In 2017, KidGuard donated $25,000 in grants to 18 non-profit organizations focused on child safety and online threat prevention. The largest grant of $5,000 was awarded to the Megan Meier Foundation.[10][11]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Media Team KidGuard (2017-03-01), ABC News - How to Monitor Your Childs Cell Phone With KidGuard, retrieved 2018-06-29
  2. ↑ "New Startup KidGuard, Attempts to Revolutionize Phone Monitoring for Kids". Inc.com. 2017-04-04. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  3. ↑ "美國創投公司 Onramp Lab 研發監測軟體 Kidguard，突破隱私與安全兩難，守護孩子遠離霸凌". TechNews 科技新報 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  4. ↑ "Gene Yu, Recognized Expert in Kidnap and Rescue Services, Joins KidGuard's New Advisory Board". PRWeb. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  5. ↑ "A 'stalkerware' app leaked phone data from thousands of victims". TechCrunch. 20 February 2020. Retrieved 2021-06-17.
  6. ↑ "Can the KidGuard App Protect Against the Rising New Threat of Virtual Kidnapping?". Entrepreneur. 2018-05-22. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
  7. ↑ "That App You Downloaded To Track Your Child May Be Used Against You Instead". pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  8. ↑ Valentino-Devries, Jennifer (19 May 2018). "Hundreds of Apps Can Empower Stalkers to Track Their Victims". The New York Times. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  9. ↑ "KidGuard for Education Essay Scholarship | Scholarships360". Scholarships360. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  10. ↑ "KidGuard Introduces Intuitive Cell Phone Monitoring Software: A Perfect Security Companion to Protect Children from Digital Threats". VentureBeat. 2016-12-07. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
  11. ↑ "KidGuard Mobile Monitoring Technology Awards $25,000 in Grants to Nonprofits with High Impact Programs that Protect Children's Online Safety". StreetInsider.com. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
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