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Verizon lets you track your child and then some

Verizon's new parental controls features let parents do more than just limit how phones on a family plan are being used.

Kent German headshot
Kent German

It appears T-Mobile has started a trend. On Monday Verizon Wireless announced a new parental controls program for family plans. Usage Controls will allow parents to limit how phones on the family plan are being used. Features include controlling when calls can be made and how many minutes can be used; setting limits for text and multimedia messaging, instant messaging and data use; blocking numbers and creating a list of trusted numbers; and employing content filters. The service is available on all Verizon phones for a fee of $4.99 per month.

The carrier also has added to its Chaperone child locator service. The new Chaperone 2.0 will allow parents to track multiple phone at once and it even will give turn-by-turn directions to a child's location using VZ Navigator. Convenient, sure, but also a bit creepy. Chaperone 2.0 will cost an additional $9.99 per month for each family plan.