How to block specific websites on ALL browsers with MacOS Parental Controls

Question

Level 1

19 points

How to block specific websites on ALL browsers with MacOS Parental Controls

I am trying to block youtube access on my child's computer. I have set up an administrator account that has parental control established over my child's account. In the Parental Controls system preference > Web Tab > Customize window I have entered www.youtube.com in the "Never allow these websites" field.

This very effectively blocks youtube on my child's account when he is using Safari. But he is still able to access youtube videos on Google Chrome. A pop up window appears that says "Google Chrome attempted to access a secure website", but the warning is ineffective, because Chrome still allows access to that website. Is there something I am doing wrong, or have others seen this type of problem.

I did see another web post from May 2018 alluding to this limitation of Parental Controls in only effectively blocking websites on Safari, but there was no resolution to the question. See https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7958612

Some specific details of my hardware and software:

MacBook Pro 2017 13" 3.1GHz Intel Core i5 8GB 2133 MHz LPDDR3

macOS High Sierra 10.13.6

Chrome version 71.0.3578.98 (Official Build) (64-bit)

Any help would be much appreciated

Macbook (2016 or later)

Posted on Jan 15, 2019 3:10 AM

Reply

Answer 1

dialabrain

Level 10

135,305 points

Jan 15, 2019 3:19 AM in response to Joachim Li

No doubt the reason it doesn't work in Chrome is because Chrome is not written to honor the setting. That would be something Google would have to change. You can of course bar access to Chrome entirely.

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Answer 2

BDAqua

Level 10

250,253 points

Jan 15, 2019 11:14 AM in response to Joachim Li

https://www.netnanny.com/products/mac/

Block adult sites. What is ScrubIT?

ScrubIT is a FREE recursive DNS server that regulates what comes into your home or business. ScrubIT “scrubs” the internet so you don’t have to be concerned about what your family members or employees will be confronted with.

http://www.scrubit.com/

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Answer 3

Joachim Li Author

Level 1

19 points

Jan 15, 2019 11:26 AM in response to BDAqua

I don't need anything that is comprehensive or needs to make an assessment of content. Just something that will reliably block all youtube videos and is hard to hack or bypass. I've seen directions for using Terminal mode and an administrator password to bar websites by mapping them back to the computers own IP address. But wasn't clear to me (1) whether that method could be easily reversed because there might be ways to identify an administrator password or create a new one even though I have installed a firmware password; (2) whether it only blocked the home page, but not specific video pages; (3) whether it could be spoofed by external sites.

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Answer 4

Joachim Li Author

Level 1

19 points

Jan 15, 2019 11:32 AM in response to dialabrain

I presume you can't write in Apps that you don't have installed. You are only given a choice of Apps that you have installed so there is some presence on the computer that the operating system can sense and then block. But what if that Chrome is then deinstalled and trashed? Does that also eliminate the block? In that case won't simple reinstallation of Chrome bypass the Application Limit you set with the old installation of Chrome?

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Answer 5

dialabrain

Level 10

135,305 points

Jan 15, 2019 11:42 AM in response to Joachim Li

Off the top of my head I don't know. I would have to set up the test account again, set up parental controls, then delete Chrome from my Mac and reinstall it to check. Not something I want to do. Maybe someone else does know.

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Answer 6

rccharles

Level 6

13,027 points

Jan 15, 2019 11:57 AM in response to Joachim Li

Could someone download chrome and install it on their account.

That's why it's better to filter the network traffic. See bdaqua's post above.

Does anyone use the computer who needs access to youtube? fyi: There is a lot of educational stuff on you tube, but can be mind wasting like regular TV.

R

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Answer 7

dialabrain

Level 10

135,305 points

Jan 15, 2019 11:32 AM in response to Joachim Li

Mojave screen shot, same panel.

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Answer 8

Joachim Li Author

Level 1

19 points

Jan 15, 2019 11:17 AM in response to dialabrain

How does one bar Google Chrome entirely if I cannot prevent it from being installed on the computer?

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Answer 9

dialabrain

Level 10

135,305 points

Jan 15, 2019 11:29 AM in response to Joachim Li

Under Parental Controls, check "Limit Applications on this Mac", under "Other Apps", uncheck Chrome.

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Answer 10

dialabrain

Level 10

135,305 points

Jan 15, 2019 11:34 AM in response to Joachim Li

You can test it yourself, yes?

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Answer 11

Joachim Li Author

Level 1

19 points

Jan 15, 2019 11:36 AM in response to dialabrain

I will do that once I get home and have access to my son's computer again. But not right now, so I was wondering whether anyone already knew the answer.

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