Using BT Content Controls

Content Controls are designed to help keep your business safe online and are free for BT Business Broadband customers. When activated, all devices connected to your BT Business Hub will have their content filtered to the restriction level that you’ve set. And if you use your BT username to log in to BT Wi-Fi the same filters will be in effect.

Features of Content Controls

Content Controls assess each site that’s accessed on your BT Business Broadband connection. They look at the main purpose of the site by reading the first part of the site address, such as www.btcom and not the information that follows it.

Sites are categorised by the main purpose of the site, not individual pages. If the site comes under one of the blocking categories you've set, then users are redirected to the blocked page. Account holders can override blocked pages if they choose.

Content Controls let you:

Protect all devices (PCs, laptops, tablets, iPads, handheld devices, smartphones) connected to your BT Business broadband connection.
Apply three predefined filter levels (strict, moderate, and light).
Personalise your own filter levels at a network level.
Use it when you’re using your BT username on UK BT Wi-Fi hotspots
Get set-up quickly as no software is required.
Set specific sites to always allow/always block.
Set time for filters.

Content Controls work with most other internet software-based filters. However, you won’t be able to use BT Content Controls if you're using software that covers all devices across your business broadband connection, such as Open DNS, Metacert or Norton Connectsafe.

No personal data is inspected or collected by Content Controls, but we do collect data on your policy settings so that we can improve the range of settings available.

Setting up Content Controls

Use your BT username to log in or sign up to My Account
Under the Broadband section click Manage settings.
You’ll see details about your BT Business broadband. If your account has more than one broadband connection, you’ll see these here as well.
Select the broadband connection by clicking on Manage (each connection needs to be checked separately).
Under the Security section you’ll see Content Controls — click Manage.
Activation happens automatically and defaults to the Light Filter option.
You’ll see a confirmation screen and your filters will be live within two hours.

To check if your Content Controls are active at any time, just repeat steps 1-5.

Non-BT business hub or router: It's preferable that you use a BT Business Hub. However, if you don't have one, you can still use Content Controls, but you must make sure you’re using BT DNS settings. Check the instructions that came with your router for how to do this.

Changing filter levels and blocked categories

Content Controls have three predefined filter levels (Light, Moderate and Strict) but you can customise your filters to suit your needs.

To change your filters:

Log in to My Account
Under the Broadband section click Manage settings.
You’ll see details about your BT Business broadband. If your account has more than one broadband connection, you’ll see these here as well.
Select the broadband connection by clicking on Manage (each connection needs to be checked separately).
Under Content Filter Settings select Change.
Use the drop-down to choose from the three pre-defined filter levels; strict, moderate, or light and select Save. You'll see a list of the categories blocked by your chosen filter setting.
You can use Custom to customise this filter level. Just select or de-select any blocking category you want to change and then click Save at the bottom of the section.
Changes can take up to 2 hours to take effect.

The different blocked categories for each of the predefined filter levels and the types of websites they block are:

Blocking category	Light	Moderate	Strict	Description
Pornography	X	X	X	Blocks sites containing explicit sexual content. This includes adult products such as sex toys and videos, adult and escort services, strip clubs, erotic stories, and descriptions of sexual acts.
Drugs	X	X	X	Blocks sites that give information on illegal drugs or misuse of prescription drugs.
Alcohol & Tobacco	X	X	X	Blocks sites that promote or sell alcohol or tobacco related products or services.
Hate and Self-harm	X	X	X	Blocks sites that promote or encourage self-harm or self-injury. The category also includes sites that encourage the oppression of people or groups based on their race, religion, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation, or nationality.
Nudity		X	X	Blocks sites that contain full or partial nudity. The content blocked will not necessarily be of a sexual nature. This will include sites where the main purpose is to advertise or sell lingerie, intimate apparel, or swimwear.
Weapons and Violence		X	X	Blocks sites that encourage suicide or depict, sell, review, or describe guns and weapons. This could be for sport or sites that contain images or text depicting or advocating physical assault against humans, animals, or institutions. Sites where the content is of a gruesome nature will be blocked.
Gambling		X	X	Blocks sites that offer or are related to online gambling, lottery, casinos, and betting agencies involving chance.
Dating	X	X	X	Blocks sites that promote networking for interpersonal relationships such as dating and marriage. This includes sites used for match-making, online dating, spousal introduction and escort services.
Social Networking		X	X	Blocks social networking sites used for friendship, dating, professional reasons and other various topics. It will also block sites used for online chat, like chat rooms and instant messenger sites.
File Sharing			X	Blocks sites used to illegally distribute software or copyrighted materials such as movies, music, software cracks, illicit serial numbers, illegal license key generators and sites used as a direct exchange of files between users.
Games			X	Blocks sites relating to computer games, online games or other games. This also includes sites that provide information about game producers, or how to obtain cheat codes. This will include blocking access to online multiplayer gaming servers and online app stores.
Media Streaming			X	Blocks sites that deliver streaming content, such as Internet radio, Internet TV or music. It will also block sites that provide live or archived media downloads. Fan sites or an official site run by musicians, bands, or record labels will also be blocked.
Obscene and Tasteless	X	X	X	Blocks sites that may be offensive or tasteless such as bathroom humour, or gruesome or even frightening content such as shocking depictions of blood or wounds, or cruel treatment of animals. It also blocks sites which offer advice on how to commit illegal or criminal activities, or to avoid detection. These can include how to commit murder, build bombs, pick locks, etc. Sites with information about illegal manipulation of electronic devices, hacking, fraud and illegal distribution of software will be blocked.
Fashion and Beauty	X			Blocks sites that relate to the advertising and discussion of fashion, jewellery, glamour, beauty, modelling, cosmetics or related products or services. This will also include sites where the main content contains fashion and beauty product reviews, comparisons, and general consumer information.
Search Engines and Portals	Personalise only	Personalise only	Personalise only	Blocks sites where the main purpose is to enable the searching of the web, newsgroups, images, directories and other online content. Includes portal and directory sites such as white/yellow pages.
Sex Education	Personalise only	Personalise only	Personalise only	This category is intended to prevent very young children from being exposed to sites that have a significant focus on subjects that might come up in a sex education programme. It should be carefully considered the possible adverse effects from denying children of an appropriate age access to information on these issues.

Common questions about Business Content Controls

Here are some answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about BT Business Content Controls.

How long until Content Controls filters take effect?

Once you’ve set up the filters, it can take up to two hours for them to activate. However, you can still log in and customise any of your BT Content Control settings during this time.

If after two hours Content Controls still aren’t active, try rebooting your Business Hub.

Do I need to set Content Controls again if I reboot, restart, or reset my Hub?

No, your Content Controls settings are linked with your account. So, if you reboot, restart, or reset your hub, your settings will still be there.

How do I block specific websites?

Adding websites to your blocked list means that any device connecting to your BT Business Hub won’t be able to access the website, even if the category it's listed under isn’t blocked. So, if you choose to block Facebook but haven't blocked social networking sites, any device connected to your BT Business Hub won’t be able to access the Facebook website, but other social networks will remain accessible.

To block a site:

Log in to My Account
Under the Broadband section click Manage settings.
You’ll see details about your BT Business broadband. If your account has more than one broadband connection, you’ll see these here as well.
Select the broadband connection by clicking on Manage (each connection needs to be checked separately).
Under Blocked websites settings, select Change.
Type the address of the website you want to block in the box under Blocked websites.
When you’ve entered the address, click Add, followed by Save.
It can take up to 2 hours for the site to be blocked
To remove a blocked website from your list, just click the X next to the website, then Save.

How do I allow blocked websites?

Adding websites to your allowed list means that anyone connecting to your business Hub will be able to see the website, even if the category it’s listed under is blocked. So, If you choose to allow the national lottery website and have blocked gambling content, any device connected to your network can view the national lottery pages, but all other gambling sites would remain blocked.

To allow a site:

Log in to My Account
Under the Broadband section click Manage settings.
You’ll see details about your BT Business broadband. If your account has more than one broadband connection, you’ll see these here as well.
Select the broadband connection by clicking on Manage (each connection needs to be checked separately).
Under Allowed websites settings select Change.
In the box under Allowed website, type the address of the website you want to allow.
When you’ve entered the address, click Add, followed by Save.
It can take up to 2 hours for the site to be allowed.
To remove a website from your list, just click the X next to the website, then Save.

How do I set times for filters?

You can turn off your filter levels for a set period of time:

Log in to My Account
Under the Broadband section click Manage settings.
You’ll see details about your BT Business broadband. If your account has more than one broadband connection, you’ll see these here as well.
Select the broadband connection by clicking on Manage (each connection needs to be checked separately).
Under Filter Schedule Settings select Change.
When set, by default Content Control filters are on all the time. However, you can disable them for a set period of time and protection against inappropriate content will be disabled on all devices connected to your business Hub.
To turn off filters choose the days from the drop down then select a start time and end time for the filters to go off and come back on.
After you have selected the days and times, click Save. Changes can take up to 2 hours to take effect.

Can I turn off email notifications?

No, you can't turn them off. But it's good for your own security to receive these notifications in case someone has your BT username and makes changes without your knowledge. Your BT username is also used for other BT services, so you don't want it in the wrong hands.

Can I change the email address my email notifications are sent to?

To change your contact email address, please call 0800 800 152 and tell one of our advisors that you'd like to update your contact details.

Can the email notifications be sent to more than one email address?

No, unfortunately we can only send notifications to the one that is set up on your account. But you can set these emails to forward to another address through your email provider.

I’ve received a blocked page message can I override it?

You need to be an account holder with My Account log in details to do this. You can either turn off the Content Controls on your broadband account, change the filter level within your Content Controls settings, or you can add the URL to the allowed URL list within Content Controls settings.

How do I turn off Content Controls permanently?

If you turn off Content Controls completely, you'll lose all your settings. To switch them off:

Log in to My Account
Under the Broadband section click Manage settings.
You’ll see details about your BT Business broadband. If your account has more than one broadband connection, you’ll see these here as well.
Select the broadband connection and click Manage (each connection is managed separately)
Click the Manage button under Content Controls.
Click on the toggle to turn off Content control.
Accept the change and you'll receive a confirmation and your Content Controls will be deactivated within two hours.

Are my devices protected outside of my business premises?

Yes, if you connecting to any one of the UK BT Wi-Fi hotspots with your BT username, but not if you're using a mobile network to connect to the internet.