BT parental controls message. Is this a browser hijack?

[ProDave]

so as well as this forum, I also use a boating forum. that was open on my computer.  So I come back to the puter and refresh the page to see what's going on and this comes up (screen grab)



Yes I am with BT but I have not knowingly signed up to any parental controls stuff.  I have NOT followed the link which would take you to

http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/47609/kw/dns/c/346,6683  DO NOT FOLLOW THAT LINK

What makes me even more suspicious is just half an hour ago I get an email from [email protected] telling me not to forget your free anti virus software from BT. I have NOT opened that email.

What is going on here please.

I tried a different browser and got the same message on that particular forum.

I have up to date Avast anti virus installed.

 

[Murdoch]

We have BT broadband, email addresses and I have BT parental controls active (it's really easy to use, is free and annoys the kids).

Never had that screen appear!

 

[ProDave]

Okay solved.

I googled on another PC and found some info on checking DNS settings on your computer. Where it should have been ticked "obtain DNS automatically" that was not ticked and an IP address of a DNS server was entered.

I vaguely remember 3 or 4 ISP's ago changing that, and I can't remember why.

I have put it back to obtain DNS automatically and all is back to normal.

So if I have been using a non BT DNS all this time, why has it only now started to complain?
 

 

[Lurch]

So if I have been using a non BT DNS all this time, why has it only now started to complain?

Probably some "upgrade" on the BT end.

I have never used an ISP supplied DNS service, the message you have got is intentionally misleading to try and get non-computer savvy folks to use their DNS service. As the message implies it is nothing to do with the boating forum as such, more the terms of your connection agreement mean that you "have" to use the BT supplied DNS service with the BT supplied broadband connection.

 

[Lurch]

I've just been around the internet and this has cropped up on some other IT related sites as BT have just rolled this out for no apparent reason so even corporate networks have had the same issue.

Good old BT, it's good to talk (unless it means we will be breaking everything, in which case we ill just keep quiet and then silently break everything).

 

[Marvo]

They want you to use their DNS servers because then they can easier control which websites you can and can't go to. It's a combination of them having to block websites by law in the UK and them being able to monitor your internet footprint, intercept and retain data as per the snoopers charter etc. Oh and illegally harvest data about you for their own profit obviously.

There was probably nothing wrong with the DNS servers your router was set to use, there's numerous reputable free DNS options so tell them to go sit and swivel on a courgette.

 

[ProDave]

They want you to use their DNS servers because then they can easier control which websites you can and can't go to. It's a combination of them having to block websites by law in the UK and them being able to monitor your internet footprint, intercept and retain data as per the snoopers charter etc. Oh and illegally harvest data about you for their own profit obviously.

There was probably nothing wrong with the DNS servers your router was set to use, there's numerous reputable free DNS options so tell them to go sit and swivel on a courgette.

HOW do you tell them to swivel?

I have NOT got parental controls turned on, but it was still blocking me from using a non BT DNS server.  It's outwith my control to change anything to make that work under those circumstances.

suggestions welcome.
 

 

[Sidewinder]

I don't see how they can force you to use their DNS servers legally, unless they can guarantee 100% uptime & the, best dns performance, otherwise, they are deliberately restricting your access, to legitimate sites.

We have a BT connection, business admittedly, , IIRC, our Draytek is set to Google dns servers.

There has to be a workaround I'm sure, not that I could help with that, but, an internet search should throw something up.

 

[Lurch]

I don't see how they can force you to use their DNS servers legally,

Terms & conditions.

If you want to use other DNS servers, use a decent ISP.

 

[Sidewinder]

Yeah Lurch, I see that, but, that is a deliberate restriction of trade, that's illegal.

Don't forget, until you get to leased line, there are only 2 infrastructure ISP's, & only one with national coverage, perhaps the best solution would be to overturn Thatchers decision, and sort out real symmetrical connectivity countrywide at useful speeds instead of the bunfight that the matket is currently in, just like the electrical supply industry, critical for the Country, critical for "UK PLC" & flogged off by the politicians for personal gain, crippled by the shareholders & stupid decisions made by idiots who are not competent to make them.

 

[ProDave]

Because our broadband here is so poor, and there are a lot of houses not far frm me that can't get broadband at all, there is a local initiative just starting to install a private local network to deliver faster broadband delivered to your home via wifi from local transmitters installed.  If it comes to fruition, then I may well give that a try. that then also raises the possibility of ditching the landline altogether.
 

 

[Marvo]

HOW do you tell them to swivel?

I have NOT got parental controls turned on, but it was still blocking me from using a non BT DNS server.  It's outwith my control to change anything to make that work under those circumstances.

suggestions welcome.
 

I'm guessing they've made the parental controls default 'ON' because UK internet users need protecting from the big bad interwebz and generally can't be trusted to not look at naked ladies etc.

As with most of this kind of shyte you probably can opt out but they make it deliberately difficult.

Regardless of whether you opted in for the parental controls I'd suggest you follow the proceedure to turn them off anyway.