Systems and methods for applying parental-control approval decisions to user-generated content

1. A computer-implemented method for applying parental-approval decisions to user-generated content, at least a portion of the method being performed by a computing device comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:

monitoring network traffic to identify an attempt to upload user-generated content to the Internet, the user-generated content being generated by a child;

recognizing the user-generated content as content generated by a user by determining that a website to which the child is attempting to upload the user-generated content is known for user-generated content;

providing the user-generated content from the child to a guardian of the child;

receiving, from the guardian of the child, a decision indicating whether the user-generated content is allowed to be uploaded to the Internet;

applying the decision of the guardian to the user-generated content.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein identifying the attempt to upload the user-generated content to the Internet comprises:

detecting an attempt to upload the user-generated content to the website;

determining that the guardian of the child has not indicated whether the user-generated content is allowed to be uploaded.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:

capturing transaction information associated with the attempt to upload the user-generated content to the website;

associating the transaction information with the attempt to upload the user-generated content to the website;

applying the decision of the guardian by replaying the transaction information to cause the user-generated content to be uploaded to the website, wherein the decision of the guardian indicates that the user-generated content is allowed to be uploaded.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 , wherein replaying the transaction information comprises:

using the transaction information to identify the website;

identifying an upload script associated with the website;

executing the upload script, wherein the upload script facilitates upload of the user-generated content.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein applying the decision of the guardian to the user-generated content comprises:

prompting the child to initiate the upload script, wherein the upload script guides the child through a process of uploading the user-generated content.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein monitoring network traffic to identify the attempt to upload the user-generated content comprises identifying an attempt to transfer a file of a particular file type indicated by the guardian.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein providing the user-generated content to the guardian of the child comprises:

adding the user-generated content to a queue of user-generated content to be reviewed by the guardian of the child;

notifying the guardian that the user-generated content has been added to the queue.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein:

the decision of the guardian indicates that the user-generated content is allowed to be uploaded to the Internet;

applying the decision of the guardian comprises detecting an attempt to upload the user-generated content to the website and allowing the user-generated content to be uploaded to the website.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the decision of the guardian comprises:

detecting an attempt to upload the user-generated content to the website;

identifying the website on a list of restricted websites;

determining that content cannot be uploaded to the website without approval of the guardian.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the decision of the guardian comprises:

receiving, from the guardian of the child, an indication of a first type of user-generated content that is prohibited from being uploaded to the Internet without approval of the guardian;

receiving, from the guardian of the child, an indication of a second type of user-generated content that is allowed to be uploaded to the Internet without approval of the guardian;

detecting an attempt to upload the user-generated content to the website;

determining that the user-generated content comprises the first type of user-generated content and is prohibited from being uploaded to the Internet without approval of the guardian.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein applying the decision of the guardian comprises:

associating the decision of the guardian with a hash of the user-generated content and a filename of the user-generated content, wherein the decision indicates that the user-generated content is approved for upload to the Internet;

detecting an attempt to upload new content to the website;

determining that the new content has the same filename as the user-generated content approved for upload to the Internet;

determining that a hash of the new content does not match the hash of the user-generated content approved by the guardian;

blocking the attempt to upload the new content to the website.

12. A system for applying parental-approval decisions to user-generated content, the system comprising:

a content-recognition module programmed to:

monitor network traffic to identify an attempt to upload user-generated content of a child to the Internet;

recognize the user-generated content as content generated by a user by determining that a website to which the child is attempting to upload the user-generated content is known for user-generated content;

a transmission module programmed to provide the user-generated content to a guardian of the child by transmitting the user-generated content from a computing device used by the child to the guardian of the child;

a response module programmed to receive, from the guardian of the child, a decision indicating whether the user-generated content is allowed to be uploaded to the Internet;

a control module programmed to apply the decision of the guardian to the user-generated content;

at least one processor configured to execute the content-recognition module, the transmission module, the response module, and the control module.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein:

the content-recognition module is programmed to detect an attempt to upload the user-generated content to the website;

the content-recognition module is further programmed to determine that the guardian of the child has not indicated whether the user-generated content is allowed to be uploaded.

14. The system of claim 13 , wherein the content-recognition module is programmed to:

capture transaction information associated with the attempt to upload the user-generated content to the website;

associate the transaction information with the attempt to upload the user-generated content to the website;

apply the decision of the guardian by replaying the transaction information to cause the user-generated content to be uploaded to the website, wherein the decision of the guardian indicates that the user-generated content is allowed to be uploaded.

15. The system of claim 12 , wherein the control module is programmed to:

detect an attempt to upload the user-generated content to the website;

identify the website on a list of restricted websites;

determine that the user-generated content cannot be uploaded to the website without approval of the guardian.

16. The system of claim 12 , wherein the control module is programmed to:

detect an attempt to upload the user-generated content to the website;

determine that the user-generated content comprises a type of content that is prohibited from being uploaded to the Internet without approval.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable-storage medium comprising one or more computer-executable instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to:

monitor network traffic to identify an attempt to upload user-generated content generated by a child to the Internet;

recognize the user-generated content as content generated by a user by determining that a website to which the child is attempting to upload the user-generated content is known for user-generated content;

provide the user-generated content to a guardian of the child;

receive, from the guardian of the child, a decision indicating whether the user-generated content is allowed to be uploaded to the Internet;

apply the decision of the guardian to the user-generated content.

18. The system of claim 12 , wherein the content-recognition module is programmed to determine that the website to which the child is attempting to upload the user-generated content is known for user-generated content by:

parsing a uniform resource locator of the website to identify a domain within the uniform resource locator;

determining that the domain is known for hosting user-generated content.

19. The system of claim 12 , wherein:

a web document with which the child is interfacing includes the user-generated content that the child is attempting to upload to the website;

the content-recognition module is programmed to determine that the website to which the child is attempting to upload the user-generated content is known for user-generated content by determining that the web document includes a framework for publishing user-generated content.