Every parent knows the knot in your stomach when you hand a child a connected device. Safe Surfer is a New Zealand-built internet filtering platform designed to take that worry off your plate — blocking pornography, adult content, and 50+ additional categories across every device in your household.^1
The platform works at the DNS level, meaning protection travels with the device whether it's on home Wi-Fi or mobile data. Parents can block harmful websites, manage screen time with scheduled internet bedtimes, view real-time browsing history, and receive regular email alerts summarizing family activity — all from a remote dashboard without ever touching the child's device.^2 A machine-learning-powered nudity detection feature can black out the screen when explicit content appears and notify an accountability partner.^2 Safe Surfer runs on Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, and browser extensions for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, and the company also sells its own "Lifeguard" router for whole-network protection at home, school, or business.^3
Founded in 2016 by Rory Birkbeck in Tauranga, New Zealand, Safe Surfer was born from a simple conviction: existing online safety tools were too complex for everyday families.^4 In 2018 the team won Technology Innovator of the Year at the New Zealand Charities Technology Awards,^4 and in 2022 they became an official Friendly WiFi Approved Provider — a UK government-initiated certification verifying their filters block known child abuse and pornography websites.^5 In 2024, Safe Surfer announced an exclusive partnership with Samsung New Zealand to offer pre-configured kid-safe smartphones and tablets with built-in Safe Surfer protection.^6 Their "Worst Children's Library" campaign with Samsung and DDB Aotearoa won two Bronze Lions at the 2025 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.^7 Rory has been featured on Shine TV, Rhema Breakfast, The Platform, and RNZ discussing child safety online.^8
Why Christians Love It"We have been so impressed with this app — we have it running on all devices constantly and have never had any pop-ups or problems with inappropriate content. No adult content accessible which is brilliant!"^9
"Best internet filter available. A well done, thought-through solution that's easy to use. A must for any family."^1
"Ensuring your whole family's devices are protected by monitoring and filtering software is a crucial first step in making sure your child is safe online. Safe Surfer is our recommended service provider." — Christy Herselman, The Chat (South Africa)^1
Notable- Exclusive partnership with Samsung New Zealand for kid-safe smartphones and tablets (2024)^6
- Two Bronze Lions at Cannes 2025 for "Worst Children's Library" campaign with Samsung NZ and DDB Aotearoa^7
- Co-authored the Digital Sexual Landscape Report 2025, commissioned by ACC (New Zealand's Accident Compensation Corporation)^4
- Friendly WiFi Approved Provider — UK government-backed certification for safe public Wi-Fi filtering^5
- Won Technology Innovator of the Year at NZ Charities Technology Awards (2018)^4
- Filtering active on 500K+ devices across 120+ countries^4
- Launched "Kids Unplugged" documentary series (2025) celebrating kids choosing outdoor adventure over screen time^11
- Endorsed by Parenting Place and Generation Online (NZ child safety organizations)^1
- The Good Source ISP uses Safe Surfer tech to provide family-friendly fibre internet in NZ^12
- "Kyle the Kingfish" online safety children's book published^1
