How do I turn on parental controls on mobile plans (original) (raw)
Parental controls help you, and your family stay safe by blocking 18-rated content being accessed on our network through a device.
What parental control settings are available?
EE's Parental Controls help to keep you and your children safe online by blocking 18-rated content when you're connected to our mobile network.
If you're looking for help when you're at home and connected to WiFi, see setting up Parental Controls.
We have three settings so you can choose exactly what level of security you need:
- Strict - Kids (under 13)
- Moderate - Teens (13+)
- Off - Adults (18+)
Accounts with parental controls enabled have the Moderate setting applied by default.
Need to know
Parental controls are only activated on a device when you're using our mobile network – not when you're using WiFi on your device.
What are your parental control settings?
You can see your current Parental controls in the Settings for each of your Plans & Subscriptions in the EE app.
Moderate
This is the default setting for new and existing customers with parental controls enabled. You get access to social networking sites but not to 18-rated content in accordance with BBFC (British Board of Film Classification) guidelines or to pornography sites.
Strict
This is the safe setting for children under 13. It filters all 18-rated content but also content the BBFC rates higher than 'PG' as well as other content not suitable for younger children including chat, dating and unmoderated social networking sites.
Google SafeSearch is now built into our Strict settings so any Google search will not show websites that relate to unsecure or adult content. You can’t turn this feature off with this setting – you’ll need to switch your parental controls to Moderate or Off.
Off
This gives full access to the internet with no filter including to 18-rated content.
Need to know
We now block secure sites for Strict users (sites with https in the URL). This means some webpages you may have been previously able to access will now show as ‘Timed out’ or ‘No response’.
Important information:
- if you try to access 18-rated content with parental controls enabled, you’ll see a blocking page and you’ll need to complete a credit card age check using the online form if you want to view the content.
- if you're a business user, you may not have the permissions required to change the settings and will need to contact your account manager.
- Parental controls only work on EE's mobile network – not on WiFi.
- if you try to change your parental controls, we'll check your credit card details match the name and address on your EE bill. If you're an American Express or Diners card holder, we'll take £2 from your card to check your credit card details but will refund it straight away. ‘Content Lock removed’ will show up on your credit card bill.
How do I check or change parental controls?
There are several ways to change your parental controls:
The easiest way is through EE App:
EE online:
- Follow the online journey on Content Unlock, or
- Log in to EE App
- You can change the Parental controls in the Settings for each of your Plans & subscriptions
Alternatively you can also check or change your settings using these methods.
By text:
- text STRICT or MODERATE to 150
- on the device you'd like to apply these new parental controls to - switch airplane more on and off, or restart it to apply the controls
By phone:
- call 1818 from the EE device you want to remove or apply parental controls to
- or call 150 from an EE device
- or call 08454 123 662 from any other device
- on the device you'd like to apply these new parental controls to - switch airplane mode on and off, or restart it to apply the controls
Online:
- remove parental controls immediately by providing your credit card details on the EE blocking page shown when trying to access the blocked website
- by logging in to EE if you're the bill payer
- on the device you'd like to apply these new parental controls to - switch airplane mode on and off, or restart it to apply the controls
In store:
- pop into an EE store with your photo ID – we'll accept a passport, full driver’s licence (photo and paper), EU card or citizen card
- on the device you'd like to apply these new parental controls to - switch airplane mode on and off, or restart it to apply the controls
To turn Content Lock off you’ll need to complete another credit card age check.
How do I keep my family safe from 18-rated content?
What about illegal content?
Content that’s inappropriate to some may be acceptable to others which is why there’s a robust framework in place based on BBFC standards. But there’s a clear distinction between inappropriate and illegal content. If either you or your child stumbles across an image or video online which you suspect shows child sexual abuse or other illegal content you can report securely and confidentially to the:
Messages
If you believe your child is receiving illegal or seriously offensive messages from an adult in a chatroom or on a social networking site, you can report it to the:
Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre >
Important information for parents
Be careful if your child is given a second-hand device or SIM card. It's always best to call 1818 to see if parental controls are turned On or Off. If you want to apply the Strict setting for an under 12, text the word STRICT to 150 from the device you want the setting applied to. If your child is using a device connected by 4GEE WiFi, make sure you apply the correct setting of parental controls to the 4GEE WiFi.
Some content, such as apps and encrypted secure sites may contain adult material that will not be blocked by parental controls, so it’s important to stay aware of your child's internet use. Make sure your device has protection against viruses and illegal content.