Google’s SafeSearch now locks out explicit content

November 11, 2009 | Cody Barbierri | Comments | |

Today, Google announced a new locking feature within SafeSearch, the filtering mechanism that keeps unwanted sexually explicit text and images out of our daily search results. While SafeSearch has been around for some time, users had no way of locking their settings. Allowing anyone say, a child looking for some risque material to easily access the Google search preference page and change the settings on a particular computer.

Now, with Google’s “Lock SafeSearch” feature, users can determine their settings and lock them using a password determined by that user. A series of colored orbs in the top right corner of your Google search results indicates that the lock feature is activated.

A great visual for parents and teachers worried about a child’s online activity or a human resources manager keeping an eye on an employee.

Here’s a tutorial on the new feature from Google on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNbHGrGJu8Q&feature=player_embedded

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About the Author, Cody Barbierri

Cody Barbierri is a social and digital media consultant. He works for Weber Shandwick and blogs about social media at socialtab.wordpress.com. (None of his posts are about clients or their competitors.)

  • >> human resources manager keeping an eye on an employee.

    It's a nice feature, but nothing to do with the enterprise. It's primary use is so that I can make my own content safer as it only controls my own profile, not so I change someone else's browsing experience.