IMSafer, software designed to protect kids who chat online, on Wednesday announced support for Mac OS X and Windows Vista. The basic service is free to use.
IMSafer works with Yahoo! chat, MSN, AOL Instant Messenger and iChat. The software constantly scans instant message conversations on your child’s computer, and will intervene if there’s a potentially inappropriate conversation going on — you, as the parent, are notified by e-mail within 90 seconds.
You’re presented with excerpts of the conversation your child is having so you can decide the meaning and context of what’s being said. What’s more, you can decide how to proceed — you can also leave feedback on users you think may not have your child’s best interest at heart.
IMSafer requires Mac OS X v10.3.9 or later, and works with any instant messaging application that uses AOL, Yahoo! and Microsoft protocols. They are also considering adding support for GTalk and Skype, as well as peer to peer networks.
While IMSafer is free to use for now, the company notes that in the future, it plans to charge “a small yearly subscription fee.”