Parental controls for Safari don't work in apps

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Level 1

9 points

Parental controls for Safari don't work in apps

I've noticed a problem with parental controls for family members who have parental controls installed. Although I've turned off Safari in the iOS parental controls, lots of these apps still have browsers embedded.

So for example, if you open a link from the Twitter app, it will just open the link in its own browser window, totally bypassing the parental controls. The same is true for any number of other apps I've found. The best I can do is try to vet potential apps that have their own browsers.

Is there any way to turn off the embedded browser in these apps?

Windows 8

Posted on Nov 6, 2014 1:36 PM

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Answer 1

mrgoofy Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 26, 2014 6:59 AM in response to IdrisSeabright

The problem is that a lot of these programs actually don't get the proper ratings. This is a bug. For instance:

Take a look at the app for OpenTable. It's rated 4+. But if you go into the app and click "About" in the menu, then go to "help and Support," it pops you into an embedded web browser that is directed to the Opentable website. With a little bit of work, you can get the browser to navigate to Google or somewhere else that will give you carte blanche to see any site, including ****. I have watched this happen with family members, and it reveals a serious defect in the parental controls portion of the iOS ratings system.

Here's how to fix If a browser is embedded in an app, even for reading local HTML, the app gets a 17+. The only ways to avoid the 17+ rating are: (1) use Safari to open HTML pages/links (which honors parental control settings); or (2) restrict all browser activity to either local files or a very select set of remote web pages on a trusted site.

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Answer 2

yabayab

Level 1

10 points

Mar 8, 2016 11:27 PM in response to mrgoofy

I know this is an old thread, but if you are still following, it's possible to even get access to a Safari browser using the Settings > Game Center, selecting the Game Center profile, and then selecting the Privacy Policy. My child is able to navigate through a complex set of selections to eventually get to a Google Search page. Everything and anything is accessible from there. I've removed all apps from the phone except the stock apps. I've restricted the Safari browser using Parental Controls, yet, the Safari browser is very much available.

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Answer 3

mrgoofy Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 6, 2014 2:00 PM in response to TJBUSMC1973

This is a huge problem for Apple's parental controls.

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Answer 4

Nov 6, 2014 1:52 PM in response to mrgoofy

mrgoofy wrote:

I've noticed a problem with parental controls for family members who have parental controls installed. Although I've turned off Safari in the iOS parental controls, lots of these apps still have browsers embedded.

So for example, if you open a link from the Twitter app, it will just open the link in its own browser window, totally bypassing the parental controls. The same is true for any number of other apps I've found. The best I can do is try to vet potential apps that have their own browsers.

Is there any way to turn off the embedded browser in these apps?

Contact the developer for support for this. Otherwise, you can just delete the apps you don't want on the device, and then disable 'Installing Apps'.

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Answer 5

Nov 6, 2014 2:40 PM in response to mrgoofy

mrgoofy wrote:

This is a huge problem for Apple's parental controls.

Apple's restrictions don't have the ability to reach into an app and restrict only some of the app's features. That's why those apps have the age ratings they have. Either don't download apps with embedded browsers or restrict apps with those ratings as provided by Apple in Settings>General>Restrictions.

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Answer 6

KiltedTim

Level 10

225,858 points

Nov 26, 2014 7:03 AM in response to mrgoofy

Settings>General>Restirictions>Apps.

Apps that contain their own browser are rated 17+.

Set the appropriate age restriction. That will prevent your children from using those apps at all.

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Answer 7

mrgoofy Author

Level 1

9 points

Nov 26, 2014 7:24 AM in response to KiltedTim

I'm not sure if you actually read what I just wrote or if you tested my example or if you're just responding to some earlier comment. Let me spell it out a little more clearly:

Some apps contain browsers but don't get a 17+ rating.

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Answer 8

KiltedTim

Level 10

225,858 points

Nov 26, 2014 10:26 AM in response to mrgoofy

Then completely remove those apps from the phone and set the restrictions to not allow apps to be installed.

If you find an app with an in app browser that does not state an age rating of 17+, then report it to Apple.

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Answer 9

Nov 6, 2014 1:37 PM in response to mrgoofy

These embeded browsers are part of the apps and therefore there is no way to remove them unless the app itself has a setting for it.

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