Adult Content Filter Basics

Learn how web content filtering can benefit your company

If you own a business, you will probably eventually have to consider using an adult filter on your employees' computers. Although it may seem unnecessary to monitor web usage of adults, many company owners swear by adult content filters. Having a content blocker allows for more productivity and limits opportunities for procrastination by employees.

It is important that you get a handle on the adult content filter basics before purchasing one. Consider the options available to you:

1. Choose between content filtering software and free adult content filters on the Internet.

2. Decide which sites to block employees from using.

3. Make the decision of who to filter in your company.

Consider the difference between adult content filter software and freeware online

You will need to choose whether to purchase filtering software or to simply find it for free online. The decision often depends on what you need the content blocker to do. Free content blockers do not usually offer the same versatility as software for sale does.

Decide which sites are to be blocked by the adult filter

Another important decision is determining what sites will be blocked. Think about what you consider inappropriate for the workplace. Do you wish to block certain forums or websites on which employees waste a lot of time, or do you want to keep some leniency and only block sites with offensive content?

Determine who needs adult content filtering in your company

Some adult filters block everyone from visiting inappropriate sites at work, while others allow you to choose who can go where. There are pros and cons to each type. Employees with certain job descriptions in your company may require access to questionable sites, so blocking them from such websites may not be a good idea. On the other hand, blocking only certain people from adult sites may cause employees to question your fairness. Ultimately, the decision is up to you, as business owners typically know what types of sites their employees need to use.

• Even if employee use of sites with adult content does not appear to inhibit productivity, such sites often take up lots of bandwidth. An Internet content filter could save you bandwidth, speeding up the time it takes to surf the web.

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