Software helps parents peep on teens’ smartphones

Parents now have a tool to help them keep track of their wayward teenagers and monitor their behavior without disrupting their kids’ lives thanks to new software designed for iOS and Android.

Teensafe released software last week that allows parents to track their teenagers’ GPS location, access their text messages, call logs, social media applications and internet browser history.

Scott Walker, Co-Founder of TeenSafe, told SFBay the software is designed to enable parents to stop teens from making bad decisions:

“We understand children are getting mobile phones at younger ages each year. As parents we know that along with the good this technology offers, there is a tremendous risk in giving them an opportunity to stumble upon dangers that can affect their whole life.”

The mobile and social monitoring system is accessible by a secure website parents can log in to and view the information on their teenagers phone and follow their activity in real time.

The real time accessibility was designed to allow parents to instantaneously make the decision to step in and alter the course of events in their child’s lives.

The software takes less than 5 minutes to install, is virtually undetectable once installed and is kept secure by a 256-bit Secure Socket Layer (SSL) encryption system. The software also allows parents to decide whether or not their child is aware their phone is being monitored.

In contrast to many spyware programs available on the market, the Teensafe software can be installed with cracking or “jailbreaking” the smartphone.

The company is offering a six day trial period for parents who want to try the system before making a purchase.

TeenSafe was founded in 2011 in Costa Mesa and has helped more than 250,000 parents. The company also publishes a blog called Teenology.com, which helps parents navigate today’s world of high technology.

The creators of the technology said they wanted to design software to help parents keep their teens safe in a world filled with sexual predators, cyber bullying, sexual harassment and peer-pressure.

Pressures on teens have only increased with the advent of smartphone applications like Instagram and Snapchat which increase the consequences of poor decision making.

The new software allows parents the ability to intervene in their child’s lives before they can make life changing mistakes and comes out of the personal experience of one of its creators.

Ameeta Jain, co-founder of TeenSafe, told SFBay the company encourages parents to talk to their teens, but the software was designed as a parenting tool.

“We teach our children and teens rules when they get in the car, whether it is always wear a seat belt or no texting and driving. Why would we give our children a smartphone, one of the most powerful tools in our lifetime, without some type of guidance and monitoring?”