2. Setting Web Filtering
To control which websites a child can
view, click the Web Filtering link. You can allow or block access to
specific websites, or specify that Windows should block web content
automatically. Figure 3 shows the Web Filtering page. If you use the former feature, manually specify which sites can be visited (for example www.disney.com)
and which are blocked (for example, sites that are suspected as being
adult-related sites). If you use this feature, you can limit your
child’s web activity only to those sites you specify in the Allowed
list. This provides you absolute control over the sites your child can
view.
Caution
We need to point out that when you use Family Safety, your child’s browsing history is maintained on a Microsoft website (http://familysafety.microsoft.com).
This can be handy because you have access to the browsing history from
any location, such as at work. However, it is a potential privacy risk.
If you don’t like the idea of your child’s Internet usage history being
stored on a public server, even if it is secured to prevent others from
browsing the history, consider not using Windows 8’s Family Safety
feature.
Click the option <username>
Can Only Use the Websites I Allow to be able to set web filtering
options. Click Set Web Filtering Level to choose the web restriction
levels. The Web Restrictions page opens, which is shown in Figure 4.
On this page, you can select the Allow List Only option, which enables
you to specify a list of sites that a user can access. All other sites
on the web, including suspected adult sites, are blocked.
The other options on the Web Restrictions page
relate to content areas that Family Safety monitors automatically. If
you choose to let Windows block web content automatically, you have the
following categories from which to choose:
- Child Friendly: Blocks suspected
adult-related websites. Allows your child to view sites on the Allow
list and in the child-friendly category. When your child visits popular
search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo!, the SafeSearch
setting is automatically enabled, limiting the types of search results
your child will see and blocking adult images.
- General Interest: Blocks suspected
adult-related websites. Allows your child to view child-friendly sites,
general interest sites, and those specified on the Allow list. When
your child visits popular search engines, such as Google, Bing, and
Yahoo!, the SafeSearch setting is automatically enabled, limiting the
types of search results your child will see and blocking adult images.
- Online Communication: Blocks
suspected adult-related websites. Allows your child to view
child-friendly sites, general interest sites, social media sites, web
chat, web mail, and those specified on the Allow list. When your child
visits popular search engines, such as Google, Bing, and Yahoo!, the
SafeSearch setting is automatically enabled, limiting the types of
search results your child will see and blocking suspected adult images.
- Warn On Adult: Does not block
suspected adult-related websites, but does display a warning if the
site contains adult-related material. All other sites are available.
When your child visits popular search engines, such as Google, Bing,
and Yahoo!, the SafeSearch setting is automatically enabled, limiting
the types of search results your child will see and blocking adult
images.
To edit the Allow List Only option,
click Allow List Only and then click the Click Here To Change Allow
List link. The Allow Or Block Websites page appears. Figure 5
shows an example of this page, with some sample websites listed in the
Allowed Websites and Blocked Websites lists. On the Allow Or Block
Websites page, enter the web address of a site you want to block or
allow. Click the appropriate button — Allow or Block — for the site you
enter. The site will appear in the Allowed Websites or Blocked Websites
list.
Click the back button at the top right of the window when you finish. This returns you to the Web Restrictions page.
Finally, to prevent your child from
downloading files to your computer, select the Block File Downloads
option on the Web Restrictions page. Click the User Settings breadcrumb
on the address bar to return to the User Settings page when finished
setting Web Restrictions.
