The Freeverse BumperCar 2.1.1 is an easy-to-use web filtering program that offers a somewhat hit-or-miss solution to the problem of keeping your kids safe online. It's not web filtering software as such, but a customizable browser that allows you to decide where your kids should go online and what they should be able to see. It doesn't prevent your kids from using another installed browser and going wherever they want.

The first step in the installation process is to visit the Safety Settings control panel. Here we found that we could make some simple choices and go with the default settings, or get more involved and customize the program's various settings. This makes the program suitable for parents who aren't particularly computer or web savvy as well as for parents who have been around the block a time or two.

The Custom option lets you create individual restrictions based on what's appropriate for your family. For example, if you select the Blacklist tab, you can create a list of web sites that may not be viewed. We liked this customization option, but because the default list only includes a handful of sites, populating it could be a full-time job. An easier option is to use the Whitelist tab, which lets you list sites that are permitted. To get you started, Bumper Car includes two pre-approved lists of 100 sites for kids and teens.

Other settings include the options to accept cookies, allow Javascript and Java applets, allow downloads, block ad banners, block web sites, chat rooms, or topics based on certain criteria, filter search engine results, prevent the sharing of personal data, and limit Internet access to certain days and times.

Bumper Car is easy to use, but its effectiveness as a web filtering solution is a mixed bag.


Pros: For the most part, Bumper Car is easy to set up, the interface is tailored to the age group, although older kids might find it a bit boring
Cons: Bumper Car doesn't have its own password for the Safety Settings controls; instead, it uses your Mac OS X login password; security settings don't affect any other installed programs all of the sites we visited seemed slow to load