Parental-control tech makers merge

ContentWatch, a maker of parental-control filtering software, said Tuesday it acquired rival Net Nanny from dot-com survivor LookSmart. The companies did not disclose financial details.

The deal highlights consolidation in a popular sector online: parental controls. As more kids venture online at younger ages, parents are looking for technology that can help them weed out adult material and protect against predators. Salt Lake City-based ContentWatch, a less well-known company to NetNanny in parental filters, recently teamed with Microsoft to support adult controls its Vista operating system, for example.

ContentWatch said it plans to maintain Net Nanny as an independent brand as it tries to grow both businesses. "We recognize and acknowledge Net Nanny as a strong and longstanding market leader," ContentWatch CEO Jack Sunderlage said in a statement.