Telstra Mobile Protect turns your child’s smartphone experience into 1984 – kind of

Telstra over the weekend announced Telstra Mobile Protect, a free service that allows parents to restrict their children's smartphone and tablet usage. Mobile Protect allows parents to set a safe list of numbers children can receive phone calls and messages from, apply internet filters, block access to select websites, get reports on which websites are being accessed, and set times during which data services can be used.

All data and internet related rules and restrictions will only work when the device is on Telstra's network, and will not function when the device is connected to a wireless network. Mobile Protect isn't able to restrict communications with over-the-top services such as iMessage, Skype, Viber, Snapchat or WhatsApp.

Mobile Protect can be enabled using the Telstra My Account portal. Once configured, the phone in question will receive an opt-in message with an authentication link to enable the service. 

Telstra Mobile Protect restrictions can be applied to devices on both pre-paid and post-paid plans, but the master user must be subscribed to a post-paid service.