Yep, make sure the the ISP (Internet Service Provider) web filtering service is enabled.
A Ofcom report from last year found that 61% of parents are aware of the existing network-level internet filtering (Parental Control) tools provided by big UK broadband ISPs, yet only 27% have actually chosen to use them!!
So basically only a quarter of UK parents use content filters from Broadband ISPs. For those who want to know more here is a quick refresher on web filtering.
What are Web Filters?
A web filter is network level filter managed by the ISP to block access to harmful internet content. As blocking occurs at the network level it does not require any additional software or hardware. So any device connected to your home network will be filtered by the connection to the ISP. So no need to worry about configuring settings or creating different accounts etc.
What gets blocked?
Typically, the following categories get blocked
Drugs
Alcohol
Tobacco
Pornography and nudity
Terrorism
Suicide and self-harm
Hate speech
Violence and gore
Gambling
Social networking
File sharing
Anonymising services
Dating
Hacking
Bullying
How to control your ISP web filter
Normally this is controlled via your ISP account controls (see links below). In addition to a straightforward off/on switch, ISPs offer different controls you can customise such as Timer, Homework mode, Category Controls and Manual website blocking.
The Big Four ISPs
At this time not all ISPs offer filtering as its not legal requirement yet. Below are the links to big four internet providers which cover the majority of the population. When you log in you should see a section for parental controls, child safe filter etc. Here you can customise the filter.
Not bulletproof
According to Ofcom 6% of children have circumvented parental controls and 5% used a proxy server to avoid them. Bless them! At this point it maybe worth considering further parental controls to keep them safe online. Options include internet routers with built in parental controls such as the excellent Netgear smart parental controls or apps such as Bark and Google Family links.
If you need further advice or help setting up parental controls you can message me using the contact form on the home page. Stay safe!