YouTube Filtering

[rjf99]

I worked for many years in London, at LGfL schools and understand that filtering system used there - including for YouTube.

 

I am now working in the Republic of Ireland, and am lacking a network here of other schools for support, so am reaching out here for a general feel of things. What we are looking to achieve is a split level filtering system where students cannot access YouTube, but staff can.

 

Schools in Ireland all use one internet provider, Scoilnet. They provide six levels of filtering, and it appears to offer far less customisation than LGfL. I have attached the two documents that they have sent to me. Their advice is to choose Level 3 for devices generally, and Level 4 for devices which are assigned an IP address in a 'staff' pool... this sounds straightforward enough.

 

From the literature, and speaking to them, there doesn't appear to be a correlation between YouTube's own 'Moderate' and 'Strict' filtering which LGfL allows. The team were a little unclear, but it sounds as though their web filter may be doing the filtering, as opposed to it being done at YouTube's end.

 

I'm also interested in the possibility of using Google Workspace to filter / allow YouTube. But I have no experience of this. From reading up on it, it sounds as though the admin panle can be used to allow certain videos, but I'm unclear about whether this would allow them past ScoilNet's filtering... my gut tells me that it wouldn't.

 

If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions, particuarly with regards to using Google Workspace, they would be very much welcomed.

[PaddyNewman]

YouTube Modes work in various methods.

https://support.google.com/a/answer/6214622

 

Obvious one is DNS based which you were probably used to in LGfL.

The other is Header Rewrite which is what SSL decryption capable filtering can do, which MAY be what they are doing there.

 

Can check it here - https://www.youtube.com/check_content_restrictions

 

Does sound very '2000s' with options for filtering and not having full customisation. Can't see the documents, but I'll shudder if its "set your proxy server address to ..." because we should be well past that these days!

[dsmith8]

Just spitballing but could you set the YouTube Restricted Mode through Google Admin Console? Manage your organization's YouTube settings - Google Workspace Admin Help

[johnmayo74]

Hi ya

 

The relevant support network you need to tap into is the CESI mailing list. https://www.cesi.ie/cesi-mailing-list/ CESI is the Computers in Edcuation Society of Ireland which is basically a subject association but it contains all the geeky teacher and tech support guys as well. I expect you will be a valuable addition to the list.

[rjf99]

YouTube Modes work in various methods.

https://support.google.com/a/answer/6214622

 

Obvious one is DNS based which you were probably used to in LGfL.

The other is Header Rewrite which is what SSL decryption capable filtering can do, which MAY be what they are doing there.

 

Can check it here - https://www.youtube.com/check_content_restrictions

 

Does sound very '2000s' with options for filtering and not having full customisation. Can't see the documents, but I'll shudder if its "set your proxy server address to ..." because we should be well past that these days!

 

Thanks for the reply Paddy. Yes, it is quite limiting. I had forgotten about the content restrictions checker. I tried it on a laptop which is in the IP range that is to block YouTube, and it wouldn't load. And the screenshot below is from a device which is allowed to view YouTube videos. It's beyond my understanding how they're doing it, but they have their own method for blocking / filtering YouTube.

 

I had hoped to be able to use the Google admin console to approve videos which are blocked, but my assumption is that with the way they are filtering it won't make any difference. I will investigate later to see.

 

We have no servers, and are currently relying on the ISP managed router to provide DHCP. They won't accept requests to set MAC reservations, and suggest that we make static reservations on individual devices, which we are looking at 30-40 of. I think a more manageable option is for to invest in a device to control our own DHCP, and set reservations in this.

 

This feels like the most afforable option I can find: https://www.comms-express.com/products/ubiquiti-er-x-edgerouter/

 

[rjf99]

@dsmith8 That sounded like a great option. I tested it on a device that had YouTube blocked and it didn't help. I will give it a go now though on a device that is seeing the filtered version of YouTube and see whether it gives us the option to add in specific videos that are incorrectly filtered.

@johnmayo74 That is a great resource - I will be signing up to that for sure. Thanl you!