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What owners say

The first owners, in their own words.

The first Shields went to friends of the founder, who said yes before there was anything to show them. We asked them two questions that matter: what actually changed at home, and what isn't good about it. Both answers are here. We didn't write these, we didn't tidy them into marketing, and we didn't leave out the criticism.

Bilal, in a cap and glasses, against a plain wall.

Bilal

Liverpool, NSW · Shield Vault

Owner since June 2026

“We noticed we were getting ads for things related to our searches, or even to what we were talking about. We also noticed the kids were getting ads while playing games, which we had no control over — often offering game money or bonuses for clicking on them, and some of them were not age appropriate. I had a problem, but I did not believe there was a decent solution in the market.

A couple of months in, we're noticing fewer ads and less tracking. What's not happening in the background is difficult to notice — such as not being tracked — however when we use a public network, the amount of ads we see reminds us of the difference.

I intend to use Follow-Me on outdoor trips mostly, for my kids, so they get the same safe internet environment outdoors as they do at home.

Bilal outside his house holding the WOMBATS Shield box.
Bilal, a keystone founding member since June 2026.
Bilal's Shield Vault installed in his home comms cabinet, status light on, beside a modem several times its size.
The Shield is the small black box on the left; the large box is his modem.“Device is so tiny, doesn’t occupy space and fits easily into any setup.” — Bilal

What's not great

At home on our own network it's great — no issues at all. What I've noticed is when I take my phone out and Follow-Me brings it back through the Shield over mobile data: downloads feel slower than usual, and a couple of times maps had trouble working out where I was while I was navigating. I've only used it that way for a short time so far.

The cost is similar to buying one electronic device for the whole family — we invest in an iPad or an Alexa for a similar amount and replace it in a couple of years. I'd look at it as a good one-time investment if you care about your privacy and protecting your kids. One wrong click can be a life lasting bad influence for kids.”

Armaghan holding his Shield Vault beside the shelf where it sits, status light on, power cable running to the wall.

Armaghan

Sydney, NSW · Shield Vault

Owner since July 2026

“We did not feel safe for the kids of all age groups to use internet and social media independently, and always had an eye out for what they are exposed to online. When Khalid first told me about it he had nothing to show me — just the idea of it was convincing enough.

A couple of months in, it's peace of mind: we as a whole household are not exposed to privacy breaches and profiling by small and giant companies for their own benefit, and I feel secure about the content the family is exposed to. So far I've mostly let it run — the filtering just works in the background, and that's the part I love. I haven't set up the per-phone rules for the kids yet; that's next.

Follow-Me is an awesome feature which, to be honest, I did not expect to reach so quickly. It's on my own phone already, so the home filtering follows me on mobile data, and the kids' phones are next.

Armaghan, in his own words — 42 seconds

What's not great

I want a proper app. Follow-Me should be something the kids can't switch off, and to my mind only a dedicated app can do that. Some short video tutorials would help too.

No brainer to go for it. They've got nothing to lose but just a lot to claim back.”

Haseeb's Shield on the brass side table in his lounge, green status light on.

Haseeb

Sydney, NSW · Shield Vault

Owner since July 2026

Our account of what he told us, approved by him.

Six people live in Haseeb's house. His Shield has been on the side table in the lounge for months, the small black box in the photo, with the modem on the ledge above. When we asked how it was going, the whole answer was: it just works, everything gets filtered, and nobody in the house has noticed it's there.

That is the design goal rather than a happy accident. No app on each phone, no account, nothing to check. Next he wants to try Follow-Me, so the same filtering follows the kids' phones out of the house.

Haseeb's lounge: the modem on the ledge, and his Shield on the brass side table below it with its status light on.
The Shield is the small black box on the side table; the white box on the ledge is his modem. The dark leads are power and Ethernet.Months on the side table in the lounge, and nobody in the house has noticed it is there.

Why you can only read friends here, for now.

Keystone founding members are friends of the founder who took an early unit on founding-member terms, before there was anything on a shelf. Nothing here is published without their approval, quotes are trimmed only for length, and they can withdraw at any time.

Nobody else had any reason to trust a box that didn't exist yet. That makes their word worth less than a stranger's, and we're not going to pretend otherwise — which is why the relationship is written under every quote, and why none of these appear on ProductReview, Trustpilot or Google, where a review from a friend on private terms would be a false testimonial.

What you can check instead: a 30-day home trial on your own network (for AU & NZ households), a 12-month warranty alongside Australian Consumer Law, security updates until at least 31 december 2029, signed software updates you can verify on the downloads page, and a founder who answers his own messages.

These are owners we know, and we say so. There are no independent reviews yet — when they exist they will be published here unedited, good or bad.

One of them photographed the difference.

Bilal says the change is hard to notice until he is on a public network. He then went and proved it: the same page on his home network and on mobile data, in the same minute, with the adverts following him between two unrelated sites. See both screenshots →

Own one? We want the awkward answer too.

The “what's not great” answers on this page are the reason the rest is worth reading, and they are what we actually build from. If you have a Shield, tell us the unflattering part.

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From $424 AUD, inc GST at the founding price · 30-day home trial for AU & NZ households · no subscription, ever.

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