We have three settings so you can choose what level of security you need:
How do I turn on parental controls on my device?
In this article
Parental controls help you, and your family stay safe by blockng 18-rated content being accessed on our network through a device.
What parental control settings are available?
What parental control settings are available?
Accounts with parental controls enabled have the Moderate setting applied by default.
Parental controls are only activated on a device when you're using our mobile network – not when you're using WiFi on your device.
Parental controls won’t work on iOS devices with iOS 15 or newer when browsing on Safari and for some app traffic when iCloud Private Relay is enabled.
What are your parental control settings?
What are your parental control settings?
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.
Off
This gives full access to the internet with no filter including to 18-rated content.
Strict
This is the safe setting for children under 12. 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.
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’.
How do I check or change parental controls?
How do I check or change parental controls?
There are several ways to change your parental controls:
The easiest way is through My EE:
Alternatively you can also check or change your settings using these methods.
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?
How do I keep my family safe from 18-rated content?
The mobile industry uses the BBFC guidelines to determine what content should be rated 18. If you believe a website has been misclassified please email safeguard@ee.co.uk and we’ll review it.
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.
Protecting your EE Home Broadband