Block Your Kid’s Phone When They’re Driving


AT&T’s new safe-driving initiative is more than a little creepy: it’s developing software that parents can use to remotely turn off text messaging and voice calls on their children’s mobile phone when they’re out driving.

The app is revealed in the publicity video above. While it’s still in development, it looks kind of clever, in a dictatorial kind of way. Seemingly it can be used to block all kinds of mobile phone communication on a child’s phone: internet, SMS, MMS and phone calls.

It also promises to offer GPS updates of their location so you can see where they’re headed, as well as providing email alerts when a child speeds and updates about dangerous driving behaviours such as late-braking. In other words, it’a domineering parent’s wet dream.

There is, however, no official announcement from AT&T about when it might launch, how it will work, or on which platforms it will be available. But something tells us that it will embraced by over-protective parents everywhere. [AT&T via Verge]


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