Want greater control over what your children access online? Vodacom Secure Net provides free protection by blocking harmful content and setup takes less than a minute.
While the internet is a powerful tool for education and communication, it can also expose children to inappropriate material, cyberbullying, and other online threats.
Often, children unintentionally come across harmful content through autoplay features, deceptive links, search results, and online advertisements. The impact of these exposures can be significant and long-lasting.
Why Early Online Protection Matters
Exposure to inappropriate online content can have a lasting impact on a child’s wellbeing and development:
- Graphic or violent content may contribute to anxiety, fear or sleep disturbances.
- Content featuring adult themes, substance abuse or other age-inappropriate topics can be confusing and difficult for young minds to understand.
- Harmful online trends, hate speech and unsafe challenges can influence behaviour and potentially put children at risk.
Beyond the content itself, online experiences can shape behaviours and habits. Exposure to cyberbullying, unrealistic social media standards, and negative online interactions can affect self-confidence and wellbeing. Establishing healthy digital boundaries early helps children develop safer online habits that can benefit them well into adulthood.
Vodacom Secure Net: Protection at the Network Level
Vodacom Secure Net is a free, opt-in service designed to shield children from illegal and inappropriate adult content – including gambling, violence, and sexually-based material. It works at the Vodacom network level, which means it protects every connected mobile SIM and modem without requiring you to install software on each device.
Secure Net offers:
Parental Control: Blocks illegal, adult, gambling, and violent content before it ever reaches your child’s screen.
Digital Protection: Guards against viruses, malware, and phishing attempts on browsing devices, adding a critical layer of security beyond just content filtering.
Network Integration: Operates directly on the Vodacom network, meaning the protection is always active for connected devices – no apps to configure, no settings to manage on each phone.
Importantly, Secure Net does not restrict your child’s ability to learn and explore. It simply ensures that the content reaching them is appropriate for their age and stage of development.
How to Get Secure Net Parental Control
Setting it up takes less than a minute. Simply:
- Dial *135*123# from the Vodacom cellphone you want to protect.
- Follow the prompts to opt in and activate the parental control service.
- That is it – the restriction is now active on that SIM.
The service is available to contract and prepaid customers and for security reasons, it can’t be unblocked telephonically via customer care. So, if you want to unblock the restrictions, you’ll have to visit a Vodacom service provider with your ID to verify that you are 18 or older.
For more information, dial 082 135, free from any Vodacom cellphone.
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