Most commercially available filtering software looks at URLs and text when deciding what to block and what to allow through, but iShield looks instead at images and videos, with a variety of options for dealing with them.
The basic iShield package detects images only in the user’s browser. The higher-end iShield Plus scans for images and video from all sources. ScreenShield offers enterprise-wide protection for businesses. All three support all major web browsers including Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox and Mozilla.
The software uses a patented technology to look for skin tones, textures, faces, limb shapes and other visual cues that adult material is present on a page, then dynamically blocks images in real-time. The software also warns users if they are being monitored. It has a one-time license charge and does not require users to pay ongoing fees for updates.
PC Magazine gave iShield a favorable review, but also pointed out several bugs, such as the fact that it cannot flag black-and-white images or those that have significant color imbalances, or that it has a tendency to over-filter innocent images.
However, the magazine’s reviewers said iShield is a major step forward and that they found it impossible to circumvent or turn off the filtering, leading tech site Slashdot to speculate that the government’s long-standing argument that filtering software “simply doesn’t work” may no longer hold water.