A child-friendly web browser

A new web browser helps to insulate young children from online harm

Spotted: According to the UK government, more than 80 per cent of children aged 12-15 have had potentially harmful experiences online. While governments are working on laws to help reduce this harm, startup URSOR is tackling the problem from a different angle. 

URSOR has developed a ‘kid-first’ browser aimed at children from ages 4 to 12. All of the links accessible via URSOR are curated and vetted by the company’s team. Kids can easily save, link, and explore content and view their search history in a way that helps reveal their intentions and interests. The app also gives parents access to tools such as screen time management and a dashboard that lets them see what their children are searching and clicking on. Parents also have the ability to block other apps while their child is using URSOR.

Unlike other Browsers and Search Engines, URSOR works on a subscription model. This allows the company to avoid having any type of advertising or sponsorship. URSOR also claims that it collects absolutely no data from its customers. This means that kids can browse safe from the distractions of ads, click-bait, and targeted content. The browser claims that it contains no social media, no auto-play YouTube, and no “mindless and passive attention-killing content”. 

The company was started by ed-tech veteran Filippo Yacob, who was watching YouTube with his kids and realised that he had almost no control of the content they were able to access. Yacob explains that, “The Internet is great, but it wasn’t built for kids… I just wanted a tool that would make the Internet a better place for my own children and the children of my friends, but I quickly realised that tool didn’t exist, and that safe access to the internet is a problem shared by every single parent with an Internet connection. Our mission at URSOR is to make the internet a tool for parenting, as opposed to something parents have to worry about.”

The concern around Internet and social media harm has led to a number of initiatives and innovations to try and tackle the scourge. Some that we have recently cspotted here at Springwise include a tool that gives a more objective view of social media posts and a platform that analyses news and posts for reliability and bias in a bid to reduce community polarisation. 

Written By: Lisa Magloff