Keeping Children Safe Online: Keepers

Preventing Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is a rapidly growing phenomenon. Children from very young ages experience digital torment at the hands of others, and they frequently hide that they are experiencing such issues from their parents. Keepers is a new application for parents who are concerned for their children’s online safety and want to take preventative measures. Hanan Lipskin is a co-founder and CEO of the company. I met him in the MassChallenge Israel office in the Machane Yehuda area to talk about the future of the potentially life-saving software.

What it Does

Keepers is an app that parents can install onto their children’s phones. The application uses AI technology to identify “problematic messages” on smartphones. Within fifteen minutes, parents are notified of the potentially harmful messages. The app also notifies parents if their children are removed from online group chats, which can also be a form of cyberbullying. Children are aware that the app is installed on their phones, which makes the system transparent. Parents can only view messages if Keepers detects an issue, thus respecting children’s privacy.

Partnerships

Major multinationals have lined up to partner with Keepers, including Google, IBM, Bezeq International, Vodafone, and Deloitte. The company is a graduate of Jerusalem AtoBe accelerator and was part of MassChallenge’s first graduating class in the city. Keepers has also won six different awards for its achievements in child safety.

Hanan’s Story

A Jerusalem native, Hanan felt passionate about establishing his company in his home city. He told me that Jnext was an important factor in Keepers’ success with the grants and office space that it provided. He also gave credit to Michael Mizrahi, Director of the AtoBe accelerator program, for teaching the Keepers team “how to build our company.” Hanan is actually still is in touch with mentors that he received guidance from when Keepers was still in AtoBe. Now, Hanan is “paying it forward” by helping other startup companies in the MassChallenge workspace.

Hanan’s personal motivation behind starting Keepers was to “save as much life as we can” while also “creating a sustainable business in Jerusalem” — worthy goals indeed.

Download the Keepers app and keep up with Keepers on their Facebook page.