« Company-Specific Online Safety Initiatives

Charter Communications

Charter Communications, serving approximately six million customers in twenty-seven states, recognizes the importance of partnering with the community to protect our children from online dangers. As the potential for harm changes as new opportunities for exploitation emerge, Charter believes the best defense comes from a variety of fronts: technology, education and self-awareness.

Technology

In 2004, Charter partnered with F-Secure®, a leading provider of anti-virus and firewall software, to provide the Charter High-Speed Security Suite to Charter Customers. The Security Suite includes enhanced parental controls with individually configurable user profiles and a child time lock feature. The Suite allows parents to block access to Internet sites with inappropriate content, such as websites that reference weapons, drugs, gambling and pornography. With the child time lock feature parents can also define at what time of the day their children are permitted to surf the Internet. These tools allow parents to make content restrictions on where their children surf and time based restrictions so that surfing is prohibited when the parents are not available to monitor their children. The Suite is included with Charter’s 3Mbps, 5Mbps and 10Mbps broadband offering, and is available with other Internet offers for a charge.

Education

Charter developed community educational classes designed to inform the community, especially younger subscribers, on how to be safe while using the Internet. The classes teach children to refrain from sharing personal information with people over the Internet. It teaches responsible computer use to help them avoid infecting the family computer with viruses or spyware. Older children learn to use social networking sites safely and to avoid putting their family at risk for copyright infringement penalties. It reinforces the risks of trying to meet someone in person based solely on Internet contact. Both classes provide free, safe online resources for children to enjoy while online.

Self-Awareness

Charter also provides informative articles on online safety on charter.com/security. A Hoax Alert helps make families aware of hoaxes that target adults and children. Another section contains guidelines for how to make web surfing safe for kids. Charter has also featured online safety articles in its customer newsletter and will be running the public service announcements on its cable systems throughout the United States.

Involvement

Charter Communications continues to participate in industry coalitions and initiatives created to empower parents and their children to use the increasing opportunities to communicate with each other instantaneously. Charter participates in the NCTA initiatives to enhance media awareness and literacy, as well as belonging to coalitions such as the Online Safety for Children Movement. With the provision of powerful communication tools comes responsibility, and Charter Communications takes it very seriously.

Charter Contact:
onlinesafety@chartercom.com
314-288-3111