Google adds ability to lock SafeSearch feature on Google search

 

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Posted on 12 Nov 2009 at 14:38

Google has added a feature to its search engine that lets you lock the SafeSearch filtering to its highest level, so that anyone using the same computer and browser will be forced to use that level of filtering. The feature works by setting cookies, so it has to be enabled for each browser installed, and it can be bypassed by deleting cookies or logging in as a different user. However, you can easily tell if the feature is enabled by the large, coloured balls that appear on Google Search results - if they don't appear, you know the feature has been bypassed.

To enable the SafeSearch lock, you have to click on the Settings link in the top right corner of the Google search home page. Choose "Search settings", and scroll down the page to the SafeSearch Filtering section. You'll see a new link: Lock SafeSearch. When you click on this, you'll be taken to a page to confirm your Google account password. You then have to click on a button to lock SafeSearch.

The "strict", or highest level of SafeSearch filters out anything that could be considered offensive in the search results, but it's worth noting that a search results page for "sex" will still contain ads for dating sites, with captions such as "Dirty Girls in your Area". The feature can also be bypassed by deleting all cookies, using a different browser, or logging in as a different user, so it's not suitable for use with older or more technically-minded children.

However, if you follow Google's own "Tips for Online Safety" ( www.google.co.uk/intl/en/landing/familysafety/), you should have any shared computers in a central place, where you can check visually for the coloured balls to see if SafeSearch is still locked. This may also work in a business environment, where peer pressure might work to enforce company policy.

Author: Barry de la Rosa