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Miss America Announces Launch of Own Web Browser
New browser designed to redirect children to “safe” sites while online
October 9, 2007 //AP//--- When Lauren Nelson was thirteen years old; she and her friends began chatting online during a sleepover to an unknown Internet user. Within the week, this same person reportedly emailed the teenager and her friends several graphic photos.
“We were chatting with people we didn’t know, which was our first mistake, and someone asked for our personal information,” Nelson said. “A week later, he sent some inappropriate pictures to me and one of my friends. We were all scared, and we told our parents, who contacted the authorities.”
Seven years later, Nelson is now the reigning Miss America, and the new Internet browser bearing her name has been designed to keep children away from dangerous online sites and users as well. The browser, which made its debut last Thursday, features an animated version of Nelson, according to the AP, who guides children as they navigate the site. She can read their email to them out loud, and can also be programmed to remind them to do their homework, do their chores, and clean their rooms.
The animated Nelson advises children to “email their parents,” and cheerfully declares, “Yeah, no Spam,” when an email is sent. If a child attempts to access a non-approved site, they receive the message: “This Web site is not on the master list. Please ask Mom or Dad to add this site for you.”
The browser allows access to 10,318 websites, prescreened by both the Miss America Organization and Children’s Educational Network. Greg Winter, chief executive officer of the Children’s Educational Network, founded the company after his own daughter’s disturbing encounter online.
“When my daughter was 7 years old,” says Winter,” she typed her name into a search engine online. Her name is Candace, and she clicked on it and got taken to a porn site. She was sitting right next to my wife at the computer, and she said, ‘Mommy, why are all these people showing off their naked butts?’”
In addition to the free version, the company also offers a premium version of the browser that includes email and “educational components,” for $4.95 a month. According to Winter, about 10 percent of those who have downloaded other software from the company have also subscribed to this service.
Nelson, like many Internet safety activists, advises against allowing children and teenagers to keep computers in their rooms.
“Keep it in a high traffic area of the house where people are constantly going past,” she said, adding, “just by asking questions and monitoring what your kids are doing, you can keep them safe.”
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