AOL’s release of two initiatives to increase Internet safety online is deserves attention.

AOL was the first ISP in the U.S. to bundle parental control tools in their subscription package to consumers, and they have continued to show steady commitment and provide industry leadership to protect children.

Today’s announcement of their upgraded Parental Control service demonstrates that commitment by stripping away their earlier proprietary requirement of using an AOL screen name to now work with any e-mail address.

This free stand-alone downloadable service by AOL has several easy-to-use features including the standard age-based access controls, and customizable controls on instant messaging and e-mail. The service also includes online timers and reports on children’s online activities. To download or learn more go to parentalcontrols.aol.com.

AOL’s second initiative to launch today is SafetyClicks.com their new online safety education Web site. Designed to be far more current and interactive than their earlier safety pages, SafetyClicks provides safety articles, blogs and videos to help educate parents about protecting their kids online and is well worth checking out.

Linda