Finnish phone maker HMD has launched a phone that is designed to be safer and less distracting for children to use.
Parental remote control
A new smartphone has just been launched, designed to keep kids safe through built-in parental controls, location tracking and approvals for text messages and call contacts.
Parents can track location and approve messages and call contacts on their child's phone.
Announced by phone maker HMD – the company behind modern Nokia devices – the Fusion X1 has been created in response to new research that suggests more than half of children are contacted online by strangers.
The study, which surveyed 25,000 children and adults in the UK, US, Germany, India, Australia and the UAE, found that one in three children have been lured into chatting on private platforms, 40% of children have been sent sexually explicit or violent content and 52% of children feel addicted to their phones.
In response to this and ongoing concerns about the impact of the digital world on the physical and mental health of young people, HMD’s child-safe phones feature controls that allow parents to decide when and whether social media apps can be accessed.
All built-in controls include parental approval for contacts for texting and calling, location tracking that lets parents receive alerts when kids leave designated safe areas, and a “stay focused” mode that can block app access during school or bedtime to reduce distractions.
These features were developed in partnership with Norwegian tech company Xplora, which makes child-safe smartwatches, and are supported by an Xplora subscription built into the phone's operating system.
HMD says the device aims to provide parents with a solution to the dilemma many parents currently face, which is to either give their child a fully-featured smartphone and unrestricted internet access, or keep their child from connecting at all.
AI-powered automatic content detection and blocking
The phone maker has pledged to launch two devices by 2025 as part of the Better Phone Project — a year-long program where the company has worked with parents and experts on what to include in a kid-friendly device.
According to HMD, the Fusion X1 is powered by AI to automatically detect and block harmful content before it reaches users.
“Smartphones are more than just technology – they shape childhoods, families and societies. Not many companies are building solutions for kids and parents. We are working with parents to make that happen. The Better Phones project is proof that change is about families, not corporations, leading the conversation,” said Lars Silberbauer, chief marketing officer at HMD.
Additionally, HMD confirmed it will begin rolling out real-time threat protection to its phones built with UK cybersecurity firm SafeToNet.
HMD says the feature will use AI-powered tools to automatically detect and block harmful content before it reaches users.
“This is about giving parents real choice. HMD Fusion X1 with Xplora and the technology planned with SafeToNet are just the beginning. Together, we are driving a future where children are empowered to use technology in safer ways and parents have the tools to enhance protection and provide peace of mind,” said Silberbauer.
New specialized phones aimed at younger users are becoming increasingly popular.
Last year, US company Pinwheel launched the first child-safe smartphone in the UK, which puts a specially designed parental control operating system on top of the existing software of Samsung or Google smartphones.
Source: https://www.baogiaothong.vn/ra-mat-dien-thoai-thong-minh-an-toan-voi-tre-em-192250303141806362.htm
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