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Internet filtering for iPhone?

The iPhone is incredible, but one thing that is keeping me from buying one is lack of any kind of internet filtering to keep out **** and other bad stuff. I've got filters on all my computers, and would love one for the iPhone as well.

So far I have contacted two filtering companies (Intego and Covenant Eyes), and neither has anything for the iPhone. I'm told AT&T offers some optional filtering on the Edge network (via the Parental Controls which you access by logging into their website), but I have no idea how good it is, and the AT&T sales rep told me you can't edit or customize it, i.e. you can't block a specific site for example. Also, I would assume the Parental Controls would be disabled whenever the phone jumps to wi-fi.

Has anyone heard if there are any such 3rd party apps in development? Thank

PowerMac G5, Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Posted on Jul 4, 2007 10:17 PM

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20 replies

Jul 5, 2007 5:56 AM in response to Cedric Hohnstadt

Well, the iPhone can do proxy servers, so if you find a place that works that way it would probably work.

The main question is whether the user would turn it off.

It's under VPN, and looks like you could set it even without the VPN, so I think it would carry over to different WiFi environments. Can't really test it, though.

Hope that helps!
Aym

Jul 5, 2007 9:25 AM in response to Cedric Hohnstadt

My work uses a proxy server to block us from stuff. Basically, every request to the internet goes through this web server first, and if it's inappropriate content it gives us a blocked message. If the proxy server is available to everyone on the internet (unlike my work one) then it should work anywhere.

I'll try to see if I can find one that works that way.

Aym

Jul 5, 2007 10:10 AM in response to AymR

This company seems to have the technology - I wonder which ISPs have licensed it:

http://www.websensewireless.com/

My mother, who is a school librarian, recommends contacting the tech support at:

http://www.bsafehome.com/

and asking them. Their software is download, but she said they're very helpful.

This also looked promising, but their tech support is on vacation.

http://www.winproxy.com/products/urlfilter.shtml

Hope that helps you find something!

Aym

Jul 5, 2007 11:08 AM in response to David MacArthur

I just found another one.

This ISP has a proxy that the tech support said will work - it's a subscription service. Probably worth trying their 30 day trial:

http://truevine.net/filteronly.html

As I noted earlier, if you go into Settings -> General -> Network -> VPN there's the ability to put in Proxy information manually. I haven't been able to test it, but it should work just fine.

Good luck!
Aym

Jul 5, 2007 8:38 PM in response to Cedric Hohnstadt

I have the exact same wish for the iPhone.

As indicated in this thread, you can pay a monthly fee to feed all internet content through a proxy that'll filter out the garbage. Unfortunately if you're also hoping to move control of the filtering option from the local device to a remote 3rd party, you're out of luck. A proxy option can be easily turned off.

AT&T can do a data block which prohibits any information from getting to your phone, but that disables widgets, maps, mail, and the other non-threatening internet apps. Then with Wi-Fi, AT&T's block is powerless.

The last resort is to hope that Apple makes a watered-down version of the iPhone that's just a phone and an iPod so that internet concerns are alleviated (not to mention that they could hopefully make it a lot cheaper).

Best of luck!

Macbook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Macbook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Macbook Pro Mac OS X (10.4.10)

Sep 17, 2007 6:34 AM in response to Cedric Hohnstadt

This is the very same reason my kids won't be getting an iPhone until it is resolved. I really think that Apple should look into this. It is quite the problem with all phones with browsers. Apple should be revolutionary AND make the phone safe as well. I use Safe Eyes (internetsafety.com) on our home computer and my children ONLY have access to the sites I allow. It makes it so much easier. If there was a way for parental controls on the iPhone to only allow certain websites that would be ideal for our family. Furthermore, it would be nice to ALWAYS be asked to put in the parental password before a system restore. We ran into trouble with this with my son's PSP. We thought all was well until he performed a system restore and realized the internet was now not locked for him.

Internet filtering for iPhone?

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