Bark, an online safety solution that proactively alerts parents to potential Internet dangers, such as cyberbullying and online predators, as well as signs of depression, suicidal thoughts and sexting, is now available nationwide after a successful beta test among parents of adolescents and teens. Founded by a technology industry veteran and parent, Bark is the only SaaS-based Internet safety solution powered by enterprise-level technology, including data science, machine learning and pattern matching, to address common parenting challenges and digital threats.

With sophisticated technologies that go well beyond simple keyword matching, Bark analyzes social media, text messages and emails to alert parents only when there is a perceived threat. These alerts, sent via text and email along with research-based recommendations for addressing the issue head on, empower moms and dads to combat potential online dangers and signs of trouble with their children.

“I’ve spent my entire career entrenched in the digital space, so as my oldest son started approaching the 'tweens,’ I began researching how I could help to keep him safe online,” said Brian Bason, founder and CEO of Bark. “What I found were tools that rely on time-intensive parental reviews of every message, Tweet and text, or systems based on simple keyword searches. I created Bark to provide parents with a more advanced and time-saving alternative for their families.”

In a two-month beta test of hundreds of American families, Bark analyzed more than 250,000 online activities and uncovered potential issues affecting 20 percent of the participating families. Bark’s advanced technology found hundreds of instances of cyberbullying, depression and suicidal thoughts, explicit sexual content, disclosures of private information, and even evidence of drug purchasing. In each instance, Bark not only identified the parents promptly, but also provided expert recommendations for managing the situation.

"As a mom, I know that it's challenging to monitor everything our children do online, and as a researcher, I know children do best when parents are involved and talk to their kids, especially when there is an issue," said Yalda T. Uhls, Ph.D., author of Media Moms & Digital Dads and a Bark advisor. “Bark has a great deal of potential; the goal of this service is to make children active participants in their paths to becoming smart digital citizens.”

Bark is available via a one-month free trial at www.bark.us, and then is $9 per month, per family. The subscription covers major social networking and communication platforms, including Facebook, Twitter, Vine, Instagram, Google+, iOS text messaging and email.