Parents are warned about new danger to Children from Instant Messaging

A Concerned Parent

ParentShield Child-Safe Network

Many parents are unaware of the dangers of Instant messengers in the hands of their children, and on a normal mobile phone network may be unaware it's in use.

The biggest danger posed to children by Mobile Chat applications comes from an ability for children to install and use them without parents being aware.”

— Graham Tyers

DERBY, DERBYSHIRE, UNITED KINGDOM, January 21, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Many parents are unaware what the minimum ages are to legally use Instant Messaging Apps in the UK. The Most Popular app for instance has a minimum age of 16 in the UK. This leaves children at risk if parents are unaware that apps are is being used by their children, and unaware of their options for monitoring a child's online communications.

It's increasingly common for popular chat apps to accept registrations with absolutely no verification of the age of a user.

ParentShield - the UK's only Mobile phone network for children - has issued this warning today and implemented new blocking and warning processes on its innovative mobile network as a result.

From now, every first attempt by a child to install any of the most popular apps on

their mobile phone will trigger an instant alert to their parents. The all-important app setup code will be intercepted and 'held-over' in the powerful Parentshield Portal so they are given time to consider their next steps. For younger children parents may decide to deny access, or for older children they may decide to allow it unconditionally, or with the required addition of a linked device.

ParentShield mobile network has a host of unique features that are designed to make it far safer for children to use. The ability to intercept the app setup messages is just one of a large range of features that parents can benefit from. This has lead to ParentShield being widely recommended by many childcare professionals.

When a child adds their number to an instant messaging group, their identity, profile picture and phone number become instantly available to a potentially unlimited number of users.

About ParentShield

ParentShield is the UK’s only Mobile Network designed specifically with children in mind, incorporating a wide range of tools - from call recording to keyword alerts - that allow parents to oversee their child’s phone usage without invading their privacy. It can work with any unlocked feature-phone, smartphone or smartwatch and does not require any app or parental controls to be set on the device. Its features are handled remotely, allowing for optimal convenience while kids retain their independence. The SIMs work across the UK and beyond.

ParentShield is seen as one of the UK's 'rising-star' MVNO's with an offering and speciality that is significantly different from past MVNO start-ups that have struggled to compete on price alone with the discount MVNO operators in the UK.

Being a SIM-based network-side service, parents can provide ANY unlocked phone to their child and give them a totally normal mobile phone experience without the stigma of being a locked or crippled "parental control" phone that you wouldn't want to show your friends in the playground.