On October 24, new feature to be included in latest version of harmful website-filtering software i-FILTER® for Android and iOS devices.
～i-FILTER is now more usable thanks to a new “Temporary Filtering Cancellation Function (Android ™ )” and a “switched off notification e-mail” (Android ™ / iOS) ～

TOKYO, Japan (October 24, 2017) – Digital Arts Inc. (headquartered in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan, CEO: Toshio Dogu, hereinafter referred to as “Digital Arts”, Code 2326) a leading provider of information security software, has added a “Temporary Filtering Cancellation Function” to improve usability and a “switched off notification e-mail” which strengthens the monitoring abilities of i-FILTER, a piece of software that filters out harmful websites for home and individual use.

Due to the rapid spread of smartphones and internet access devices in recent years, smartphones, tablets and other smart devices have evolved into an important communication infrastructure in our daily lives. While it is relatively easy to have an environment that allows connection to the internet anytime and anywhere, it is still a challenge for young people and guardians to acquire the necessary knowledge about the many dangers that lurk on the internet. It can be very difficult to monitor the hours that children use their devices such that they do not exceed the daily limit, and also to properly distinguish which websites are appropriate and which are not, so to comply with the Youth Internet Environment Improvement Law, it is mandatory to use smartphone internet filtering.

With the development of the internet environment and introduction of internet-related laws, the number of i-FILTER installations is on the rise. It provides the necessary protections via internet filtering, thus leading to its widespread adoption across Japan. In the case of preschool children and their parents and guardians, there are many cases where parents and guardians share their own devices with their children. These parents and guardians requested that i-FILTER incorporate a function that allows separate settings for parents and guardians and children.

Against this backdrop, we have added two new functions to improve usability for parents and guardians who use i-FILTER.

The temporary cancellation function for i-FILTER’s Android™ version devices was added for situations where parents and guardians and children share smartphones and tablets at home. When it was the parents and guardians’ turn to use the device, the same filters would still be applied. This new function makes it possible for parents and guardians to easily disable the filter temporarily without changing the settings when the child uses the device.

“Switched off notification e-mail” is a function in i-FILTER for Android ™ and iOS devices, where if the device is left for a certain period of time with i-FILTER switched off, an e-mail is sent to the parent’s registered e-mail address. This lets parents and guardians know that children can access the internet on the device as the filter option is turned off. With this, parents and guardians can ensure the filter is always switched on when children are using the devices, thus preventing children from accessing inappropriate and/or harmful websites.

The addition of these functions not only strengthens security for children but also allows i-FILTER to help protect those elderly users who live apart from their families and are unfamiliar with smartphones and other devices. It can be used to protect them from being deceived by malicious sites, and can also be used as monitoring tools to confirm their safety.

At Digital Arts, we are striving to improve our products by constantly adding new functions to boost users’ convenience, so that their families can use smartphones and other devices in a safe and secure environment. We aim to continue stressing the importance of internet filtering to parents and guardians all over Japan.

New function outline of i-FILTER