HACKER Q&A
📣 markun

Parental control for a 13yo, on Linux (remote, web-based, extensible)


I’m looking for a solid parental control setup for my 13-year-old, who just got her own PC and us Linux. Currently on Lubuntu, but I could switch distros if there’s one that comes “safe by design” for kids.

Features I’d like to have:

Web-based remote control (so I can manage it from another machine)

Ability to set schedules and total time for internet access

Browsing history monitoring (ideally also logs from things like Discord)

Ideally extensible with plugins or an API

Bonus points:

Contextual filtering powered by AI, ideally running locally for privacy.

I’ve been told I could run Pi-hole inside a VM on the same machine and manage things from there. That seems workable, but I’m curious if there are friendlier / more integrated solutions.

On mobile we use Google Family Link, which works surprisingly well — but it also ties you strongly into Google’s ecosystem.

So my broader question is: how do fellow hackers handle parental controls for teenagers? Do you rely on technical solutions, household rules, or some combination of both?

  👤 Bender Accepted Answer ✓
[delayed]
👤 Mr_Bees69
I dont really think that something like that exists, and it might not make sense to build it. Circumvention is so easy that (at least when my mom bought a garbage router with parental controls) all it did was cause resentment, constantly getting questioned on what i was doing, driving me to use a vpn full time because otherwise, the mirrors i updated my laptop from would be blocked.
👤 reify
Firstly, as a retired psychotherapist and play therapist, you are severely destroying the most important thing being a parent. TRUST!

I have two daughters and a son who are fully functioning adults.

I did not act like a control freak, or intervene in their lives. I educated them about the horrors of being online. I had a talk with them and trusted them to be safe. I made myself fully available if they had any problems online.

Why would any rational compassionate loving parent add any ai product to monitor their child.

My god man! Its like looking in her personal diary every day.

you are creating the perfect panopticon environment, and we know the damage that, that does to a human being.

A proper parent does it like this:

Be honest with your daughter and tell her you will be monitoring her PC/laptop to keep her safe.

Tell her you will manually turn off your router every night at 10pm, or whatever time you choose.

I would be extremely concerned about using any google stuff, after all they will be hoovering up every thing she does online. In my view this is more dangerous than giving her a free reign to do what she wants online. fuck off with the ai bullshit.

Its not the bogie men she needs to worry about. Its you and big tech.

I see another psychologically damaged child who eventually abandons you because you are a control freak.

I dont want any bonus points