SafetyWeb helps parents shield their children’s Net reputations

The Internet is a place to share photos, videos, stories and a lot of personal information.

Some of that info is sitting online in public places, just a few mouse clicks away from anyone who wants to more about you or your children. Kids are especially vulnerable, as they rely on the World Wide Web to communicate with friends. But not all friends are friendly.

Taking inventory of personal data and your kids' online behavior just got easier, thanks to SafetyWeb.com. The subscription service scrubs the Internet for questionable activity and alerts parents when something iffy is found.

"It's amazing how quickly you can build a detailed listing on someone," SafetyWeb co-founder Geoffrey Arone said. "It's something parents need to know. Anyone who really wants to get information on you can find it pretty easily."

Customers can get an abridged version of what SafetyWeb discovers by starting with the demo. Type in your child's e-mail address and click "search now." Dozens of social media sites are searched and a report showing how many social media accounts are associated with the e-mail address's owner. You'll also get a snapshot of the number of online friends that person has.

A pie chart shows how the user's social media time is split. You'll be invited to subscribe to get the full report with details on friends and other online and mobile phone activity. The service costs $10 a month or $100 a year.

SafetyWeb also searches for posts on social network sites that could tarnish the posters' reputations.

SafetyWeb is as a tool to help parents open a dialogue with their children, but Arone said, "There's no product on the face of the planet that substitutes for good parenting,"

SafetyWeb's other co-founder, Michael Clark, said that what kids do online today can have serious consequences for them tomorrow.

"More and more," he said, "college admissions and potential employers are going beyond the résumé and searching candidates' online activity and history. We've designed a service to enable parents to be informed and intervene quickly if their kids are engaged in questionable behavior."

Arone said although there is no "delete" or "erase" button for the Web, there are ways to get content down.

"Suppose your son or daughter is dating someone and they break up, but someone put up questionable photos of your kid partying on a beach with a beer," Arone said. "If that person won't take the photos down, there are certain ways to communicate with social networks (to get content removed).

"There's a right way to contact social networks and right procedures to follow," he continued. "They're aware of these issues and have dealt with them hundreds of times. We help parents navigate this."

Share your Internet story with me at agibes@reviewjournal.com.