HT201813: Mac OS X v10.5, 10.6: About the Parental Controls Internet content filter

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Q: OS X El Capitan:  Parental Controls NOT working


Using a managed account, and selecting "only allow these websites", when managed/ or Admin user logs out and then back in and parental controls are opened by ADMIN account, "try to limit access to adult websites" is selected.  MBP restarted, ADMIN goes back into managed account and selects only allow...and same thing happens....also if I enter specific websites that are NOT to be accessed at all under "Custom" these websites disappear next logging from ADMIN or Managed account.....Parental Controls worked fine with Yosemite....Can anyone help?

Posted on Oct 29, 2015 1:45 PM

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Q: OS X El Capitan:  Parental Controls NOT working

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  • by maxslade,

    maxslade maxslade Jan 25, 2016 8:00 AM in response to cebruns
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 25, 2016 8:00 AM in response to cebruns

    When I contacted support for the problem of https sites not working with parental controls the CS rep (escalated one level) told me I should use a third party parental control solution. I very disappointed with that response - parental controls appear to be useless.

  • by LukeLindblom,

    LukeLindblom LukeLindblom Jan 25, 2016 8:04 AM in response to maxslade
    Level 1 (32 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 25, 2016 8:04 AM in response to maxslade

    You mean Apple, the company that says their software works, says to use something else because theirs is so bad? That is ridiculous.

     

    BTW, what third-party apps did they recommend?

  • by kimberly254,

    kimberly254 kimberly254 Jan 25, 2016 8:05 AM in response to lordnickensmama
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Jan 25, 2016 8:05 AM in response to lordnickensmama

    post in feedback and report problem to apple as well. they don't have enough people reporting for it to appear on their radar

  • by LukeLindblom,

    LukeLindblom LukeLindblom Jan 25, 2016 8:06 AM in response to kimberly254
    Level 1 (32 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 25, 2016 8:06 AM in response to kimberly254

    I'm doing it again now. I'm sure I've done it 30 times, and I have several other users here doing it repeatedly too.

  • by kimberly254,

    kimberly254 kimberly254 Jan 25, 2016 8:07 AM in response to LukeLindblom
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Jan 25, 2016 8:07 AM in response to LukeLindblom

    there is a post in one of these parental control forums where someone had tried 3 different ones with not much success.  he stated content barrier by intego worked the best and i read someone used net nanny.  i haven't tried net nanny but intego wouldn't work for me.

  • by maxslade,

    maxslade maxslade Jan 25, 2016 8:09 AM in response to LukeLindblom
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Jan 25, 2016 8:09 AM in response to LukeLindblom

    That's correct - the rep said it was 'basic' parental controls. I explained how it was not usable, then he said to try third party - he didn't recommend one though.

  • by LukeLindblom,

    LukeLindblom LukeLindblom Jan 25, 2016 8:10 AM in response to kimberly254
    Level 1 (32 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 25, 2016 8:10 AM in response to kimberly254

    K9 works ok (by Blue Coat) but it hasn't been updated since 2009 and it doesn't block all websites, and blocks system services. But, either way, at least it's free. I hope Apple eventually fixes El Capitan, and I won't have to buy anything. We have used Safe Eyes in the past, but it had problems too.

  • by kimberly254,

    kimberly254 kimberly254 Jan 25, 2016 5:46 PM in response to jetseller
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Jan 25, 2016 5:46 PM in response to jetseller

    update from my senior advisor today:  i have stated this before but when i first called apple support on this issue the senior told me there was no record of this problem and how they track and watch ........ after about 20 hours on the phone at separate times and two brand new out of box macbook air machines doing the same things, i got a call back today.  With my last advisor we took quick time video of what was happening, ran tracers and captured logs of what was happening as well.  The apple senior advisor stated that engineering is now aware of the problem and is working on it! whiptdy doc right? To me that is huge, at least they are acknowledging there is an issue.  I also sent links to these discussion forums as well.  My advisor seems to think it is a 'script' conflict issue but too complex for him. 

     

    'Engineering' advised him to tell me to do this: (it is a compilation of various things people have suggested)

    0.5) make sure you are logged out of the user you want to make setting changes on

    1) Open System Preferences

    2)Users/Accounts

    3)Open parental controls (don't go directly to parental controls thru pref)

    4)Change one tab at a time (apps, web, stores, time, privacy, other)

    5)After making desired changes, hit the lock button then hit the back arrow to take you back to users then back to the sys pref main box

    6)Wait 15 sec (I didn't have luck with that brief, I had to wait about 1 minute)

    7) repeat the process FOR EVERY TAB YOU WANT TO CHANGE 

    So this worked for me for everything except the sub-menu (or whatever it's called)in the APPS tab.  I want to allow only specific apps and disallow others.  It is still randomly checking and unchecking my selections.  It did 'stick' one time but reverted once I logged in and out of the managed user and/or restarted the computer.  ARGGGGH.  All the other settings are holding.  It took me about 1.5 hours to do this, on one machine. Awesome, i know.  I will keep trying to get the apps to 'stick'.  problem is when i get it the way i want, if or when i make a change, it starts again. 

     

    Of note, for the web, I want to "allow only these".  the ones i allowed are working (for now).  My son did have trouble while logged in today and it started blocking sites he had just been on.  It actually began blocking every site, like nothing was allowed.  A restart resolved this.

     

    So , it's not your machine, we probably knew that already.  You aren't going crazy, they ARE checking and unchecking themselves.  Hope an update will fix it soon, although have been reading this goes way back.  I wonder if they acknowledged the issue back then however?

     

    Please update as you are aware.

  • by Feste Ainoriba,

    Feste Ainoriba Feste Ainoriba Jan 27, 2016 1:57 AM in response to kimberly254
    Level 1 (9 points)
    Safari
    Jan 27, 2016 1:57 AM in response to kimberly254

    Thanks for the stepwise instructions. I'll try this, but Apple's Parental Controls has never worked right for me. I've tried it under each operating system upgrade, and it has always misbehaved so badly that I have just had to turn it off.  I simply want to restrict hours for my teens, but when I turn it on, it allows my teens to log in during approved hours, but cuts off all internet access 24/7 on affected accounts.  I came to believe that Apple doesn't consider Parental Controls to be a core app, has known all along that it is buggy, but lazily left it in place because its code must be invoked by other processes.

     

    I don't think Apple is being honest when they feign ignorance about parental control malfunctions...this is a perennial problem that has been reported for over a decade, and they've never, never, never properly corrected it (and I don't believe they ever will).

  • by LukeLindblom,

    LukeLindblom LukeLindblom Jan 27, 2016 6:36 PM in response to Feste Ainoriba
    Level 1 (32 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 27, 2016 6:36 PM in response to Feste Ainoriba

    Here is a screen recording of the main problem I'm having. I know there are many ways the problems are showing themselves, am I the only one that has it like this? I'm using 10.11.4 beta 2, (just released today.)

    Here's a link-video upload is grayed out.

     

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/m1m6ltm36y1zi6h/PCBROKENPROBLEM.mov?dl=0

  • by Luis Sequeira1,

    Luis Sequeira1 Luis Sequeira1 Jan 28, 2016 1:36 AM in response to LukeLindblom
    Level 6 (12,211 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jan 28, 2016 1:36 AM in response to LukeLindblom

    LukeLindblom wrote:

     

    Here is a screen recording of the main problem I'm having. I know there are many ways the problems are showing themselves, am I the only one that has it like this? I'm using 10.11.4 beta 2, (just released today.)

    Here's a link-video upload is grayed out.

     

    https://www.dropbox.com/s/m1m6ltm36y1zi6h/PCBROKENPROBLEM.mov?dl=0

     

    I understand this can be frustrating. It does seem like there should be an "Apply" button on this.

    However, you also seem to have shown the solution: if you lock the padlock the settings DO stick (at least they do on my mac).

     

    Edit: they also stick if I simply get out of System Preferences and back in again.

  • by marcus.sg,

    marcus.sg marcus.sg Jan 28, 2016 8:14 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Jan 28, 2016 8:14 PM in response to Luis Sequeira1

    In all my years of using the Mac OS, this has to be one of the biggest fuster cluck's that's personally affected me. Parental Controls is utterly, utterly broken, in Yosemite as well as El Cap. I'm kind of despondent really... I have a brand new MacBook Air, bought yesterday, that I need to enact OS-level controls on and simply cannot, because Engineering can't, haven't or won't get their act together and actually fix this. There's no point booking a Genius Bar appointment, this is software failure at QC level and never, ever, should have shipped in this useless state. It's simply not fit for purpose.  So mad right now.. We need to provide Feedback (where?) or get the issue highlighted on a popular and respected Mac blog so that the issue gets traction and a wider readership because right now, it is a sad state of affairs that this part of the "World's most advanced Operating System" is in such a shambolic condition.

  • by iachelini,

    iachelini iachelini Jan 29, 2016 2:42 AM in response to marcus.sg
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Jan 29, 2016 2:42 AM in response to marcus.sg

    marcus.sg wrote:

     

    In all my years of using the Mac OS, this has to be one of the biggest fuster cluck's that's personally affected me. Parental Controls is utterly, utterly broken, in Yosemite as well as El Cap. I'm kind of despondent really...<snip> ... this is software failure at QC level and never, ever, should have shipped in this useless state. It's simply not fit for purpose.  <snip>..

    Hi Marcus. I am so with you. For me its at least a proof for two things.

    First: There are actually humans working at Apple inc. and they make mistakes.

    Second: Their QC process seems as broken as in any other company on this planet. They are no better than any other company not given a fingle suck about their software quality.

    We need to provide Feedback (where?) or get the issue highlighted on a popular and respected Mac blog so that the issue gets traction and a wider readership because right now, it is a sad state of affairs that this part of the "World's most advanced Operating System" is in such a shambolic condition. 

     

    Do the same as I (and many more did): Head over to the feedback form @ http://www.apple.com/feedback/ and fill out the form. I also started a reddit post @ https://www.reddit.com/r/osx/comments/3wfobr/parental_control_not_working_anymor e_kids_world/ , but not much feedback yet.

  • by W4RH34D,

    W4RH34D W4RH34D Jan 29, 2016 7:39 AM in response to marcus.sg
    Level 1 (8 points)
    Video
    Jan 29, 2016 7:39 AM in response to marcus.sg

    Well if you make something better please let us know.  I'm currently having to deal with a windows 8.1 machine that likes to just install printers on it's own even though all the settings are telling it not to.  My client just had to buy some software without keeping me in the loop and now I have an actual nightmare instead of just the parental controls issue which is mildly annoying.   Don't forget, it can be much, much worse.  You could be on Windows.

  • by LukeLindblom,

    LukeLindblom LukeLindblom Jan 29, 2016 7:46 AM in response to W4RH34D
    Level 1 (32 points)
    Desktops
    Jan 29, 2016 7:46 AM in response to W4RH34D

    At least Windows 8.1 has GREAT Parental controls. The best out of any OS.

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