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Imagine being able to see what your kids are texting, who they are calling, and how fast they might be driving.
That’s the promise behind Scottsdale-based Taser International’s newest product.
The company is officially unveiling The Protector series Thursday during the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
On Wednesday night, CEO and co-founder Tom Smith spoke to ABC15 via Skype from his hotel room in Las Vegas.
He explained how the company will offerthe Protector Mobile Application and a Protector GPS Application.
The Mobile App will be on your child’s phone and your phone.
The application will allow you to view the photos your child has on their phone, watch their videos, even read their texts.
“It will actually go into the communications that went back and forth between the child and a particular person,” explained Smith.
An alert will be sent to your phone if any red flags show up on your kid’s cell, such as "sexting", racy photos, or pictures of guns and drugs.
You also have control over the device.
Smith offers an example, “when they're in class we can say the phone doesn't work at all.”
You can disable functions if they are grounded or give them more freedom whenever you want.
The key is parents have full control over how they use the features.
Smith said the purpose is to help parents be more involved in their child’s life in this digital age.
The fact is, times have changed and cell phones can launch teens into a very private world.
In speaking with several parents across the Valley it was interesting that the same parents who said they would never snoop inside their child’s bedroom have no problem with this new application.
They were making a distinction between a child’s physical space and their electronic space.
Parents said the reality is there are so many more dangers facing children these days, which is in part due to technology that did not exist when they were younger.
Smith said their Protector GPS Application would need to be purchased along with a piece of hardware that would be installed in the car your teen is driving.
You can learn your kid’s driving habits; find out if they are speeding; or, where they are in the Valley.
You can also disable their phone while they are in the car.
“As soon as the ignition goes on you shut that phone off completely and then maybe when they get older they can do hands free calling,” said Smith.
He said this should put an end to texting and driving which will keep our kids and streets safer.
The product would be purchased through a subscription fee.
Smith said at this time they are thinking it would run $10-20 a month.
The hardware for the GPS application would cost about $250-300 to install.
The products will go on sale this Summer.
While they are marketing this to parents, Boomer asked Smith if adults could use this technology to spy on their spouses.
Or perhaps a company could install the application on work-issued phones to spy on their employees.
Smith said this isn’t Spyware because it’s not that stealth.
The person you are monitoring will know you are watching them.
So if you are looking at the pictures on your kid’s cell phone your child’s cell will let them know what you are doing.
Hannah Butler is 9-years old and said she doesn’t have a phone nor does she want one but said most of her friends have a phone.
She thought the driving application was a good idea.
“You get in a car accident, it is important for people to know where you are,” Butler said.
But when it came to the idea of her dad peering into her phone someday, she was a little more skeptical.
“Well, I think its a good thing so your parents can see what your doing, but when you get older you might want some privacy.”
Hannah's father John said it is hard because all parents want to both keep their kids safe and help them transition into adulthood.
He believes parents should establish the rules but also give teens room to grow up and develop because you can’t watch them all the time.
“I am kind ofhesitant, but I say that now, if she was 15 and hanging out with people I thought could be detrimental my opinion could change,” said Butler.
Valley mother Bonnie Harvey agrees.
“If you had a kid that was one of the rule-breakers it would be a handy thing to keep track of,”said Harvey.
The Protector is being marketed to parents as a family safety platform.
You can supervise your kid’s cell phone habits, keep tabs on which functions they are permitted to use, and manage their contact lists.
Rick Smith, CEO and co-founder of TASER International is quoted as saying, "Many kids spend more time with their mobile phone than their families, and most parents have been helpless, in the dark as to who their kids are interacting with and what kind of content their kids are exposed to every day. PROTECTOR empowers parents to stay involved and provide parenting guidance in a fast moving, mobile world."
He added, “Auto accidents are the leading cause of death among American teenagers, and distracted driving is becoming a major factor in these accidents. PROTECTOR will play a significant role in addressing this national tragedy."
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