Microsoft has joined forces with the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP) once again to launch a new version of Internet Explorer 9 (IE9), which includes various amount of features to help children stay safe when browsing the Internet.
The web browser is available to download from Microsoft"s dedicated website and offers a new default homepage offering advice on how to stay safe on the web, along with pre-assigned bookmarks and multiple pieces of safety information from the CEOP. This means that your child can be equipped with a web browser without any inappropriate intrusions or exploitation risks.
Gabby Hegerty, Internet Explorer Lead in the UK had this to say about the initiative:
At Microsoft we always want to provide our customers with the tools to enjoy the web safely and securely. The internet has become a central part of everyday life for adults and children, from learning and communicating to working and playing online,
Hergerty added: "It is important we make the appropriate safety information available and build in features to our software which provide families with peace of mind online."
The customized version of IE9 has been released to mark Safer Internet Day, which takes place today (7 February). The annual event is organized by InSafe, who aims to educate web users about online security concerns and workarounds.
InSafe released their own statement to mark the occasion:
Whether you are 5, 40 or 75 years old, whether you use the internet once a month or several times a day - each person has something different to bring to the table that can help shape our online experiences and our understanding of online competences and safety. We all have a role to play in ensuring that every child is safe online.
Microsoft has previously released a version of Internet Explorer 8 that was designed in conjunction with the CEOP also, so it is good to see Microsoft following its actions and beliefs on online security.