According to TechRadar, Surfshark launched its web content blocker feature in 2025. The tool allows users to block entire categories of websites on Android or iOS devices, focusing on risks like phishing and malware. If someone tries to access a blocked site, they must pass two-factor authentication (2FA) to proceed. Senior Product Manager Justas Pukys explains it’s designed as a new approach that respects privacy by blocking content without monitoring activity. It notably works without the Surfshark VPN being turned on and, due to Surfshark’s unlimited device policy, can be used on as many smartphones and tablets as desired. The feature is positioned as a broader tool than just parental controls, especially in light of FTC reports showing over $445 million lost by adults 60+ to impersonation scams in 2024.
The privacy-first blocking approach
Here’s the thing that really sets this apart: it’s not a spy tool. Traditional parental controls often feel like you’re installing a surveillance suite on your kid’s phone. Screen time limits, app blocking, activity logs—the whole nine yards. Surfshark’s web content blocker basically says, “Nope, we’re not doing that.” Their whole brand is built on a no-logs, privacy-first stance, and this feature aligns perfectly. It prevents access to harmful categories without recording *what* someone was trying to see. That’s a pretty significant philosophical shift. It’s less about control and more about creating a safer perimeter. And honestly, for a lot of families, that might be enough. Do you really need to know every site your teen *almost* visited, or is it better to just stop them from landing on a malicious phishing page in the first place?
Looking beyond just the kids
This is where the “versatile tool” angle gets interesting. Pukys is clearly proud of this broader vision, and he should be. We obsess over protecting kids online—and we should—but what about grandma or grandpa? The FTC data is terrifying: $445 million lost by people over 60 just last year. They’re often the targets of the most predatory scams. Most “parental control” software feels infantilizing for an adult, but a tool that quietly blocks known malware and phishing sites? That’s just good sense. It reframes the product from a disciplinary tool for children to a genuine safeguarding utility for any vulnerable person in your household. That’s a smarter, more empathetic market position.
Swimming in the all-in-one pond
The article nails a bigger trend here. Cybersecurity insiders have been predicting this shift for a while. Users are getting tired of managing ten different subscriptions for antivirus, VPN, password managers, and identity monitoring. The future is the bundled suite. Surfshark adding a feature like this, which works independently of its core VPN, is a step in that direction. It makes their subscription stickier. Why get a separate nanny-ware app when your VPN can offer a privacy-respecting version of it? It’s a competitive move in a crowded market. But it also raises a question: as these suites expand, can they keep these features truly distinct and privacy-focused? The moment they cave and add activity monitoring “by popular demand,” this unique selling point vanishes.
A tool, not a silver-bullet solution
Let’s be real, no software feature is going to “solve” online safety. Government regulations like age bans and verifications are clunky and controversial. Big tech platforms have been painfully slow to act. So the onus does fall on tools like this. But it’s crucial to see it as one layer of defense, not a force field. It blocks categories of sites, which is great for known threats. But it can’t read context in a social media feed or protect against a scam happening within a seemingly legit app. Surfshark is upfront about this—Pukys explicitly says it’s not a “comprehensive parental control suite.” That honesty is refreshing. In the end, it’s a useful, privacy-conscious feature that fits a specific need. And in the messy world of online protection, every legitimate tool that doesn’t involve spying on your family is probably a win.
