How do I get/why are there not tight parental controls for broadband and mobile network?

[RedAppleMedium]

Things are sliding through. Despite setting parental filters on home broadband (mobile network is rather shit) and discussing with DC (teens) they've been able to watch porn and other nasty stuff, probably !!! And I worry how it's affecting them !!!!

Advice and tips, please

There are apps you can download onto the phone. Some send you the websites visited by your children.

It depends on your WIFI but some have safeguarding options which allow you to completely block porn, social media and other content.

Your network can install a blanket control. Most do it by default and you then have to call and request them being taken off if you wish.
You might be able to set them by logging i to your broadband router settings but probably easier to call your provider.
This doesn't stop them accessing these sites via their mobile network though

Logging into a broadband router should allow a blanket ban, and you should also be able to ban content through the mobile sim provider.

However there are way around these controls such as VPNs, and there are sites that contain adult material which are not always categorised as adult, Reddit is a prime example.

I would suggest a good parental control app on all devices. I haven't had to use one for a few years now so am not up to date on what's best in class now. Although I am sure there are many more up to date Mumsnet terms who may chime in.

You have my sympathies. We are still in the earlyish days of figuring out how to parent children with the internet and tech moves so fast, it's hard for the big companies to keep up, let alone busy parents!

The simple answer is you cant. No matter what controls you put in, there's ways around them. All you can do is guide your children away from the worst stuff.

There is no blanket ban? I've looked into it. I can't get apps on to my teens phones without a massive struggle.

We use 4G for broadband and adult content is blocked at source by default. It can be unblocked by signing into the account online and changing the setting. That would only work if DC have no access to their mobile accounts though.

I'm not from here originally, though have lived here a very long time. When I first moved here, I realised there's lots of porn available to kids on teletext such as babestation, etc. It was commonplace as was page 3 and lads mags. It seems that it still persists though online

Can you explain further?

No parent filters work 100% of the time.

The only way to prevent them is for you to white list sites that they can go on but that’s a palaver and doesn’t stop people sending them porn.

I assume that you have your kids mobile providers and have logged into your router and put on the ISP filters. You can block specific sites if they visit them regularly but they can get around that by watching in places that have free wifi.

Google “get around X” where X is the name of the software that they have. There will be pages about how to cheat the filters.

You can block a million sites, but you won't be able ro block them all - thry are not all as obviously labelled as Pornhub. And you xant stop them receivingbit on snapchat, whatsapp etc without banning the apps. And if you do ban everything, theyll get a se ond phone snd use that. It just can't be done.

Why aren't the government doing anything with this?

My son is has been hitting me and calling me a waste of space and other names. I'm a single mother who got away from domestic abuse with help from the police and social services. Why is this happening?

We bought our own router (so not the one provided by your ISP) and it has an app where you can easily blanket block certain websites, or certain sites or only on certain devices. Very handy.

I’ve got Sky broadband and can block it by logging into my account and setting controls there. Who is your provider?

The government have done all it can - when you sign up to your service providers, the default is that controls will be on.

The controls do not block everything - porn (and other damaging content - if you are concerned only about porn you are naive) isn't tidily available only on "porn sites". Indeed "porn sites" are easy to block. But as you have noticed, that doesn't deal with it.

The two things you can do are
a) install a good content blocker (in addition to what your ISP provides) including on all gadgets your DC could carry out of the house, and
far more crucially
b) educate your DC on cyber security, safety, why porn is wrong, why beheading videos contribute to radicalisation, why pro-rexy sites are harmful etc.

Because if these lessons are not learned young, they will be very vulnerable. Their friends devices may have no filters on them at all. They'll find ways round tech blocks if they are motivated to do so. What you can influence is their motivation.

Or you could move to either Iran or North Korea which are AFAIK the only countries where the government effectively control what can be seen online within their borders

Your son may be traumatised and copying his father's behaviour.

As advised here, you can use your router to block content, regularly check your children's devices and download apps to prevent unwanted content.

This is a bigger issue than being able to access porn, I’m afraid.

Go to the mobile account settings. You should see something like this. If not, you may need to ring them and have the block applied.

The government can’t do anything because the internet is international and every country isn’t going to sign up.

China tightly control internet to citizens but do you want to pay for spies to look at everyone’s internet history ? Who decides what’s ok and what is not ? In China you can’t view material that is anti-government - that’s unacceptable here. Adults are allowed to look at porn (freedom of speech) so it’s up to parents to do what they can. Unfortunately many parents give their teens free rein so those kids can send porn to your kids with controls anyway.

Say the government went down the China route. Everyone would buy VPNs to fake their online location so it looks like they were in another country.

A Gryphon works ! We have been using it for years. Just connect it to your router with the cable supplied. Quick to set up. Very simple to use with Gryphon App. Controls each device in the home individually. Only controls devices that you choose to add (kids phones etc)

Forgot to add about the Gryphon. It also blocks VPN 👍

Android phones have App Lock. Search app lock in the phone settings. Install the app of your choice and then lock it. Wait until teen is asleep

Crap. I had locks and now they've gone off?

There are PIN locks on DCs phones now so I can't get on

You should have set locks on DC phones from the outset that they did not have access to

How old are DC? If over 16 you are probably too late