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Enforce Safe Search in Connect for Windows, macOS, and iOS

Updated
This article is for IT Support. 

Safe Search can block explicit and potentially offensive content from appearing on Google, YouTube, and Bing search.  

Caution

It's important to avoid double inspecting. Double inspecting occurs when multiple Safe Search options are active simultaneously. This can happen when two or more of these scenarios are true:

  1. Your school's firewall has Safe Search enabled.
  2. Your school's Google Workspace has Safe Search enabled.
  3. Your Linewize Filter Appliance has Safe Search enabled.

To prevent double inspecting, remember to turn off the other Safe Search options when one is in use. This practice ensures Safe Search works correctly and blocks explicit and potentially offensive content from appearing on Google, Bing, and YouTube searches.

Before You Start

Check for your current Safe Search settings:

  • If your school already uses Google Workspace for Safe Search, you can use Linewize Filter to enforce Bing Safe Search. Duplicating the Safe Search in Google Workspace and Linewize Filter can prevent Safe Search from working.
  • Review your list of Content Filtering policies for any existing policies for Google, YouTube, and Bing search engines and keywords.
  • Consider the YouTube filter mode set for your school. If your school sets YouTube into strict search mode, teachers cannot override this in Classwize.

Contact Linewize Support for assistance before you start if you already have multiple policies for Google, YouTube, and Bing. 

Enabling Safe Search

Use these steps in Linewize Filter to set up Connect on your users’ local devices to enforce Safe Search.

  1. Go to Filtering > Content Filtering.
  2. Select Create Policy if you do not have an existing policy, or select the pencil icon to edit an existing policy. 
    1. If Safe Search isn't enforced through an alternative source like a firewall, please add the following three URLs:
      • bing.search.familyzonedns.com
      • google.search.familyzonedns.com
      • youtube.media.familyzonedns.com
    2. If your users are required to log in to their Google account and you manage Safe Search in Google Workspace, create a block policy for Bing-only using the following web address.
      • bing.search.familyzonedns.com 
  3. (Optional) Choose Groups in Select Criteria. Type and select a Group name to restrict the policy to only these users.
  4. Ensure Action is set to Block.
  5. (Optional) Select the Locked policy checkbox if there are other locked policies for search keywords or search engines. You may also check Locked if you do not want teachers to override this policy.
  6. Select Save.
  7. On the Content Filtering screen, enable the policy by selecting its toggle.
  8. Move it to the top of the list.
  9. Go to Configuration > Mobile Agent > Off Linewize Filter Network. 
  10. Ensure MITM Enabled is checked.
  11. Select Search for Website/Category in MITM Inspected.
    1. If your school uses Google Workspace to manage Safe Search,
      type Bing and select
      • Signature Bing.
    2. If your school does not use Google Workspace for Safe Search,
      type the search engine name and select the three signatures:
      • Signature Google Search
      • Signature YouTube
      • Signature Bing.
  12. Go to the bottom-right corner of the Mobile Agent window and select Save.

Enabling YouTube Moderate Safe Search

This feature was introduced with the DNS Filter Server 2.9.0 release. There is a Safe Search option that enables the blocking of YouTube Moderate Safe Search.

Note

This functionality is limited to Connect for iOS, Windows, and macOS running in DNS Mode Only.

To enable YouTube Moderate Safe Search:

  1. Go to Linewize Filter > Filtering > Content Filtering > Create Policy
  2. Enter the Name as Block [youtube-moderate.media.familyzonedns.com]
  3. Enter the Type as youtube-moderate.media.familyzonedns.com
  4. For Action, select Block.
  5. Tick the Block Page checkbox.
  6. Select Save Policy.