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Net Nanny for iPhone?

I

iPhoneporn

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Apr 26, 2011
4
0
Why is it so hard to block porn on the iPhone? Will Apple ever do something about this?

I realise there are plenty of people who want porn - and that's fine. That's up to you. But I don't. I'd like to be able to switch it off, as we can with our PC (using Net Nanny), so that all web enabled programs (or apps) don't show porn.

It's a big issue - if you don't believe me, read this article from Time magazine. www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1815933,00.html

There are a few "safe" browsers (K9, Mobicip) available in the app store, but they don't work. You have to disable Safari (which means you lose a lot of iPhone functionality, e.g. links in emails don't work anymore) and in any event, lots of apps have internet capabilities (even my radio app, TuneIn Radio has browser capabilities).

Ideally, there would just be a Net Nanny switch in the "restrictions" settings (although I guess there would also need to be a configuration panel, as adults trying to escape porn might want different settings to parents looking after younger kids).

Steve Jobs keeps saying he wants users to have the option of a porn-free iPhone. Why doesn't he sort this out?
 
Are you talking about limiting it from a minor who has an iPhone? I think Jobs has taken a stand by not allowing porn apps in the app store. I don't think you will see Apple take any more aggressive steps than that. Nor should they in my opinion.
 
ucfgrad93 said:
I don't think you will see Apple take any more aggressive steps than that. Nor should they in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Mac OS X has much stronger parental controls than the iPhone does. I'd just like the iPhone to have the same options that Macs have in this area.

Are you saying that they should take those features out of the Mac? Why? How do they affect you?
 
ucfgrad93 said:
Are you talking about limiting it from a minor who has an iPhone? I think Jobs has taken a stand by not allowing porn apps in the app store. I don't think you will see Apple take any more aggressive steps than that. Nor should they in my opinion.
Click to expand...

Most porn isn't in apps. It's freely available on the web. As Small White Car says, the parental controls on a proper mac computer are much better - and on those, you can install Net Nanny. I'm not for a moment suggesting you shouldn't be able to surf porn, if that's what you want to do. But I don't want that temptation - for me or my kids. So I'd like the option of porn blocking - just an option - which I will use and you won't.
 
No, I'm not saying that Apple should take out parental controls out of the Mac OS. I read the OP as wanting Apple to disallow that for all iPhones. But having an option in the settings would not be a bad thing either. This way, the individual decides not Apple.

Interesting screen name, OP considering that you don't want that on your iPhone.;)
 
All I'm going to say is this: If you need a net nanny for an iPhone who ever is using it is too young to own one, and if it's for you, just don't search for anything you don't want to.
 
GeekOFComedy said:
All I'm going to say is this: If you need a net nanny for an iPhone who ever is using it is too young to own one, and if it's for you, just don't search for anything you don't want to.
Click to expand...

That's ridiculous.

So which do you believe...that 10 year olds can't use iPods or that they should be able to load any website the like?

I find both statements strange. Which one are you picking, though?
 
iPhoneporn said:
Most porn isn't in apps. It's freely available on the web. As Small White Car says, the parental controls on a proper mac computer are much better - and on those, you can install Net Nanny. I'm not for a moment suggesting you shouldn't be able to surf porn, if that's what you want to do. But I don't want that temptation - for me or my kids. So I'd like the option of porn blocking - just an option - which I will use and you won't.
Click to expand...

Steve Jobs doesn't have any control over content published on the internet. If you're concerned about your children using an iPhone and being exposed to that sort of thing you have two options: 1) don't let them use an iPhone unsupervised, or 2) disable Safari altogether.
 
GeekOFComedy said:
All I'm going to say is this: If you need a net nanny for an iPhone who ever is using it is too young to own on
Click to expand...
That's like saying kids shouldn't be allowed in supermarkets because they sell alcohol.

GeekOFComedy said:
If it's for you, just don't search for anything you don't want to.
Click to expand...
Porn can be a temptation that's hard to resist at times - particularly if it's just a click away. I'd rather have the option of an extra layer of protection, as I do on my computer.

Don't really understand your hostility - it's just an option I'm suggesting. If you don't want to use the option, you don't have to.
 
iPhoneporn said:
That's like saying kids shouldn't be allowed in supermarkets because they sell alcohol.


Porn can be a temptation that's hard to resist at times - particularly if it's just a click away. I'd rather have the option of an extra layer of protection, as I do on my computer.

Don't really understand your hostility - it's just an option I'm suggesting. If you don't want to use the option, you don't have to.
Click to expand...

Well the difference is Apples trying to keep it on the down lo' that there's porn in safari hence no net nanny features but of course everyone knows alcohol exists hence safety. Also here's a little barrier of protection. Every network monitors your bandwidth, some compress the packets so they would see what your looking at and comes up on your itemized bill. Or better yet just use will power. As for your suggestion, Yes I suppose it's good but Apple doesn't even want to let people know that some porn companies come together and go "Oh hey, lets make our videos in .mov html5".
 
milani said:
If you're concerned about your children using an iPhone and being exposed to that sort of thing you have two options: 1) don't let them use an iPhone unsupervised, or 2) disable Safari altogether.
Click to expand...

Repeat for effect.
 
What's wrong with porn? :p
Supervise your kid, or educate them, and then practice some self-control and/or moderation. Everyone wins!
 
Net Nanny is developing an iOS app.

rdowns said:
You should be lobbying Net Nanny to develop an iOS app.
Click to expand...

Net Nanny is developing an iOS app. You can read up on it here:
http://www.netnanny.com/mobile/2

On that same page, you can also sign up for email updates on the release of the product.

Also, here is some forum discussion on getting NN on iOS:
http://www.netnanny.com/forum/discussion/235/ipodiphone-app/?Focus=1804#Comment_1804

And here is a blog post about it:
http://www.netnanny.com/blog/entry/id/72

Hope that helps!
 
It's going to be interesting to see how netnanny does this effectively on iOS. Short of hooking into Safari using unpublished APIs, this is going to be a neat trick to make sure it catches everything. unless it's released as a Cydia/jailbreak app, but the irony of that would be hilarious.

Edit: I see now in the blog post that the developers pretty much admit this:

So our iOS product will be the Net Nanny browser for iOS. Just as Apple doesn't let us watch what other apps are doing, we can't even watch what the built-in Mobile Safari in iOS is doing. So the only thing Apple will let us do is make our own web browser that will have filtering built in.
Click to expand...

At the risk of getting flamed: the history of netnanny-like software has shown again and again that they don't work. They frequently err on the side of "caution" and filter legitimate content (say you want to research "breast cancer" for instance), and then they don't always catch the *real* bad stuff. it's always an arms race.

If you're implementing this for a child or someone else you find untrustworthy, they will find ways to get around it. I mean, even if Netnanny really locked down the device, what kid with an iPhone hasn't already jailbroken it? At the very least, they know how and can use that knowledge when it becomes "necessary." Even a simple DFU restore on some other computer with iTunes will make short work of this.

The only way to make it foolproof is to make it inherent in the OS and mandatory on every device, and I'm sorry, but there are plenty of responsible adults who don't want someone else telling them what to view in their web browsers, even if they never look at porn on their iPhones. It's a slippery slope from that to controls and restrictions on other "unsavory" content.

Having netnanny is a poor subsitute for having a "real" nanny... or better yet, real parenting. Talking to kids about what they shouldn't see and why, and setting ground rules, and enforcing those rules through actual interaction is probably more effective than giving them just another software puzzle to solve and get around.

And if you absolutely can't trust them... then maybe they're not old enough or responsible enough to have a smartphone yet.


By the way: if you were to ask me to design something more effective than this, I'd go with a filtered VPN. Set up a VPN proxy with a web-filter, and set up the iPhone to connect through that. That way, all net content is getting filtered, regardless of the app or browser in use.

Of course, once the user figured out what's going on, they could go into the settings and disconnect the VPN. Doesn't look like Apple lets you lock that down. So that wouldn't be perfect, either.
 
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I dont think people should be able to look at Cats on their iphone.

Yes you can look at cats in the privacy of your own home, but all of those nasty feline pictures on the web should be stopped.

Steve should make it so you can block anything you dont like.

Cats, Dogs, mean people, bad haircuts...... They could all be in the settings area and you can turn them on and off if you want.
 
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For Ipod Touch and other wifi type devices, I am using the free version of opendns. It essentially replaces your ISP DNS with their DNS. They use community tagging to tag websites. You can then filter out porn, nudity, bikini, etc. I have successfully blocked my wife from looking at bathing suits online. (As well as any thing else naughty.)

http://www.opendns.com/

This only works for your personal network. If the device can use the cellular data network, this solution will not work.

My $0.02.
 
iPhoneporn said:
Most porn isn't in apps. It's freely available on the web. As Small White Car says, the parental controls on a proper mac computer are much better - and on those, you can install Net Nanny. I'm not for a moment suggesting you shouldn't be able to surf porn, if that's what you want to do. But I don't want that temptation - for me or my kids. So I'd like the option of porn blocking - just an option - which I will use and you won't.
Click to expand...

I dont know why but this statement made me think of Ned Flanders and laugh out loud..... LMAO

th_ned-flanders.jpg
 
Parental restrictions allow you to block Safari already, if you're that concerned about a kid accessing porn. In my house my son can only access the Internet on the computer, and then only when an adult is close by. He can use the iPad or my iPhone, but only for games or movies. When he is a teenager ofcourse we will have to revisit restrictions, but the bottom line is I am the Net Nanny in my house, and that's the way it should be.

Oh, and as for removing the temptation from yourself? You know you can disable NetNanny, right? There is no substitute for self-control.
 
netnanny said:
Net Nanny is developing an iOS app. You can read up on it here:
http://www.netnanny.com/mobile/2

On that same page, you can also sign up for email updates on the release of the product.

Also, here is some forum discussion on getting NN on iOS:
http://www.netnanny.com/forum/discussion/235/ipodiphone-app/?Focus=1804#Comment_1804

And here is a blog post about it:
http://www.netnanny.com/blog/entry/id/72

Hope that helps!
Click to expand...

Thanks for the insights on how this would have to work. Seems like your hands are really tied by Apple.
 
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