[ipad] iPad refuses search for 'Hot' - Safari/Google

[Koldov]

Very strange issue here...

 

Teacher brought an iPad to me yesterday after school and said a few of them are giving an error whilst doing a Google search for 'Hot Chocolate Drink'!

 

Couldn't really believe it, but she handed me the iPad and it gave an error I've never seen before...

 

Restricted Site

 

You cannot browse this page at "google.co.uk" because it is restricted.

 

 

Anyway I think I've narrowed it down, it really does come up every time you open Safari and enter the search term 'Hot' into the search bar....

 

I've done a filtering report and it appears to Deny this search based on the fact that it produces a 'Malformed ~URL' which the support for our filtering says points to a problem with Apple and not their filtering.

 

They suggested 'Settings | ScreenTime | Content & Privacy Restrictions | Content restrictions'... but on our iPads this section is greyed out and says 'Screen Time has been restricted'... thing is I can't find anything in Meraki SM that says we can even restrict that!

 

The only thing I can really think of is that we push out the Apple (?) 'Web Content Filter' set at default, but it's been like this for years and I doubt this is the first time anyone has searched with the term 'hot'...

[DavidYoung]

I checked on my iPad and got the same thing. It is definitely the Web Content Filter settings in Meraki as I took that off and was able to search for hot choc.

 

Remember the filtering is managed by Apple so they may have simply added the term 'hot' to their denied list recently.

[LeMarchand]

but it's been like this for years and I doubt this is the first time anyone has searched with the term 'hot'...

 

Could be the first time they've searched for hot chocolate.

[Face-Man]

I've just done a test on one of our ipads and it is the apple "web content filter" when it is off you can search for HOT when it is applied you get the screen you show above... I'm guessing Errol Brown's estate might miss out of a few royalties or maybe they want to block "you sexy thing" and just though HOT was a catch all. You get the same issue in bing and when using chrome on an ipad.

 

I guess if the other content filter is good enough then maybe turn the apple web filter off

 

Thanks for the heads up.

[LeMarchand]

I'm guessing Errol Brown's estate might miss out of a few royalties or maybe they want to block "you sexy thing" and just though HOT was a catch all.

 

They probably also don't approve of things that "started with a kiss, in the back row of the classroom".

[Koldov]

Remember the filtering is managed by Apple so they may have simply added the term 'hot' to their denied list recently.

 

I guess if the other content filter is good enough then maybe turn the apple web filter off.

 

Yeah I could possibly turn it off, but I have got to hope that someone at Apple realises that this must have been a mistake....

 

With the filter on, students can't even search for things like 'why is the sun hot?'....

 

I don't really touch these iPads if I can help it and haven't really kept up when changes in a new iOS version breaks something in Meraki SM or mean that we have to redo a lot of restrictions or enable/disable certain new things, so....

 

Just out of interest, can anybody also using Meraki SM (or other MDM) explain why as I can't see anything in Meraki SM to specifically set 'Screen Time' (which says ''Screen Time has been restricted") if there is another overarching setting that encompasses that now?

Edited February 1, 2023 by Koldov

[Koldov]

Just out of interest, can anybody also using Meraki SM (or other MDM) explain why as I can't see anything in Meraki SM to specifically set 'Screen Time' (which says ''Screen Time has been restricted") if there is another overarching setting that encompasses that now?

 

Hopefully answering my own question.... if I've got it right...

 

'Screen Time' now (well since iOS 12) falls within the scope of 'Allow Configuring Restrictions' (needs iOS 8+):

 

https://community.meraki.com/t5/Mobile-Device-Management/Disable-Apple-quot-Screen-Time-quot-on-iOS/m-p/85000

 

 

So, if you don't allow them to configure their own restrictions, they obviously can't enable 'Screen Time' and so it is greyed out and says 'Restricted'.

 

Now, is there anyone at Apple that can answer why 'hot' is a word that needs to be censored...?

Edited February 1, 2023 by Koldov

[dmj]

Now, is there anyone at Apple that can answer why 'hot' is a word that needs to be censored...?

 

victims of the scunthorpe effect

[Brimstone]

Hopefully answering my own question.... if I've got it right...

 

'Screen Time' now (well since iOS 12) falls within the scope of 'Allow Configuring Restrictions' (needs iOS 8+):

 

https://community.meraki.com/t5/Mobile-Device-Management/Disable-Apple-quot-Screen-Time-quot-on-iOS/m-p/85000

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]67917[/ATTACH]

 

So, if you don't allow them to configure their own restrictions, they obviously can't enable 'Screen Time' and so it is greyed out and says 'Restricted'.

 

Now, is there anyone at Apple that can answer why 'hot' is a word that needs to be censored...?

 

As you have experienced Apple web content filter is extremely basic, over blocks sites and key word searches and is not designed to be used in an education evironment, you should be using your school wide content filtering solution, which is far more sophisticated