Microsoft unveils add-on to protect kids online

Microsoft has unveiled a free add-on for its FrontPage 2003 web authoring application, which it hopes will make the internet safer for children.

The add-on is designed to allow website authors to add Internet Content Rating Association (ICRA) content labels to their web pages.

These labels are recognised by a variety of content filtering tools designed to help protect children from potentially harmful content on the web.

Established in 1999 by international internet companies and associations, ICRA develops, implements and manages an internationally acceptable voluntary self-labelling system that can limit access to content.

Once pages have been tagged in this way, it is possible for parents to assess which sites are safe for young people to visit, according to Microsoft.

The applet takes web authors to the ICRA website, where they can fill out a short questionnaire about the content of their site.

The ICRA site then generates a short piece of code that acts as a content label, which authors can attach to the page.

This allows browser filters to recognise the nature of the site's content label and automatically block inappropriate content.

ICRA chief executive Stephen Balkam said in a statement: "We have long believed that the best way to accommodate the global diversity of individual and family values and preserve the vibrancy of internet content is to empower families to tailor their own internet experience.

"That is why we are committed to working with vendors like Microsoft to create technologies that will result in a safer internet environment for all."

Users of Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 can download the free ICRA Content Rating Add-in here.