School enforced a filter on devices- Update, need help...

amother

↑ Melon

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 1:21 pm

I'm guessing they want Amazon blocked because of the video/movies that are available. (Even without prime, you can rent or purchase both movies and TV shows quite cheaply.)
But, what's so dumb about that is that there are plenty of other ways to access movies or shows if someone really wants to.

little neshamala

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 1:29 pm

amother OP wrote:

I have two issues.... my phone and laptop. My phone TAG has the pin and they wont give it to my husband the code to put amazon back on. Im going to my parents for shabbos I was going to call TAG from their town to see if they can do the pin for me on my phone. The main issue is my laptop tho

My other issue is my laptop with the filter. I spoke to TAG she told me in order to delete the laptop filter, I have to get permission from the liaison to do it.

I am appalled. This is not yiddishkeit.
Im so sorry youre dealing with this, really hope you find a way to fix it

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 1:35 pm

amother Melon wrote:

The issue is finding inappropriate stuff on amazon they told me

amother

Maple ↓

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 1:50 pm

Wow such chutzpah.

I used to have a tag filter on my computer but had so many issues with it. I had put it on myself through tag so I didn’t need permission to get things unblocked. But then things would randomly get blocked again and they’d need to get remote access to reset the filter. This happened often. Finally I took the filter off but the filter company had renewed me for another year without my permission.

My kids school recently had an internet asifa and I wonder if they plan to try doing the same thing as yours. There is no way they’re touching my computer. I’m not going through that again. My kids never touch my work computer anyway. My old laptop has a DVD player they sometimes use to watch slideshows so if the school needs something to filter I’ll give them that. My phone already has a tag filter because I only needed one app for work and tag was able to get it to work.

amother

Ghostwhite ↓

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 1:52 pm

GLUE wrote:

See if you can find an independent contractor to get rid of the whole filter, then put your own filter back on.

This.

There are so many tech savvy kids who can unfilter it for you in a minute. Not to mention tech savvy adults.

amother

Lemon

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 2:00 pm

The filtering of all household devices to protect kids is absurd. Necessity is the mother of invention. If kids want something, they will figure out a way to get it. Like buy their own smartphone or device. Then there are plenty of free wifi available, and then they are online without any filter or supervision - while the parents dont even know they have their own device. I've seen this with the most frummest families. It happens and will continue to. They need to teach responsible tech & online activity in school, not just banning everything.

amother

Waterlily ↓

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 2:06 pm

amother OP wrote:

What thread?

There were 2 threads recently after that whole scandal with one of Baltimores TAG directors being found guilty of possession and distribution of child prn...it evolved into warning people who may have had their devices filtered by him to take their devices to an independent tech guy to check that he didnt install nefarious malware that could give him access to your phones photos/videos etc or anything else.
This discussion then devolved into how wise it is to literally hand over your personal devices to an absolute stranger, naively trusting him just because he is Jewish. The idea of people just putting on their own filters themselves was discussed, vs giving TAG the ultimate control, and then there was lots of talk from people who felt TAG was too much of a control freak, as well as why some schools mandate only TAG etc etc

amother

↑ Waterlily

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 2:07 pm

amother OP wrote:

they said I have to call them up to get permission for my "association" to take it off
and my "association" is listed as "flatbush" -(I dont live in flatbush so idk if flatbush=TAG?)

This is pathetic. I didnt know id have to get permission to delete my account. Its my computer!

Any advice??

I wonder if this is legal. Can they really refuse to remove things from your phone? Can you threaten them with legal jargon?

amother

DarkCyan

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 2:08 pm

Op sorry your dealing with this. The Yishvish world’s reaction to the internet is a large part of why we decided to move away from a Yishvish lifestyle. This is a hassle but if it really bothers you, save everything you need on it to a diff computer or the cloud and restore the laptop to factory settings. This should get rid of the filter. If it doesn’t you can always head to an Apple Store and they should be able to help you get it back to its original settings.

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 2:25 pm

amother Ghostwhite wrote:

This.

There are so many tech savvy kids who can unfilter it for you in a minute. Not to mention tech savvy adults.

Unless a person has a person they can suggest I go to advice like this isnt so helpful. How am I supposed to find a "Tech savvy" adult? Do u kno anyone?

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 2:26 pm

amother Wallflower wrote:

I wonder if this is legal. Can they really refuse to remove things from your phone? Can you threaten them with legal jargon?

The lady on the phone sounded old and grumpy
She kept saying "I cant give u the pin u have to come to us to get the pin put in" I dont live near flatbush when do I have time to drive an hour to them smh...

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 2:27 pm

amother Wallflower wrote:

I was very happy with web chaver before.
I dont have experience with TAG until now

amother

↑ OP ↓

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 2:28 pm

amother Lemon wrote:

I guess thats like teaching that abstinence is the only way to curb teenage pregnancies... Better teach people to be responsible...

singleagain

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 2:52 pm

amother OP wrote:

I guess thats like teaching that abstinence is the only way to curb teenage pregnancies... Better teach people to be responsible...

This is actually a really great analogy.

amother

↑ Mulberry ↓

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 2:53 pm

amother OP wrote:

What filter did tag put onto your laptop? Mine was a few years ago and I think it was gentech. In any case google the number and call them straight and ask whoever you speak to to take it off. They might say they can't refund but its probably still worth it for you.

About the phone, you can call any tag from anywhere you don't need to wait till you're in the same town. As far as I'm aware it can all be done remotely, I didn't take my phone in when I got everything opened up.

amother

↑ Maple

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 4:13 pm

amother Ghostwhite wrote:

This.

There are so many tech savvy kids who can unfilter it for you in a minute. Not to mention tech savvy adults.

If this is a livigent filter they are not easy to bypass. Unless you happen to find someone who has done it before and knows what to do, it’s not getting uninstalled in a minute.

NotInNJMommy

Thu, Mar 16 2023, 4:26 pm

Nope Nope Nope. Sick. Totally overreaching. I hope you put a hold on your tuition payments until and unless this is resolved, and if the resolution means you have to buy a device, I hope you deduct it from the tuition.