Last weekend the hottest topic discussed on social media was FINAS executive officer Ahmad Idham calling for digital content to be monitored from containing scenes that are seen as sensitive. He said this was due to concerns among parents that the content being watched was not suitable for children.
This concern may arise because it seems that many parents are unaware that almost all streaming services have content filtering systems built in. Through this article we want to teach how to filter content through the parental control feature on Netflix, Astro GO and HBO GO. We use these three services because they show content that may be considered inappropriate for some Malaysians.
NETFLIX
Because Netflix is made a scapegoat, we start this tutorial with this service. What you need to do is very simple. First of all go to WWW.NETFLIX.COM/YourAccount using a web browser. Settings cannot be changed directly from within the smartphone or tablet app.
On Settings select Parental Controls. You are then asked to enter the account password as identity verification. Netflix will then ask you to set a personal 4-digit pin. After this is done there is an option Restrict By Maturity Level. Select the age level of content allowed without having to enter a 4-digit pin.
If you are worried about sexual, violent and touching religious content, it is recommended not to select Adults on all Netflix profiles. All content that receives R, TV-MA, NC-17, Not Rated and Unrated classifications will be automatically blocked.
If this is still not enough lower the age limit to Little Kids. At this setting, the Pokemon animated series will also be blocked. This is especially necessary for highly sensitive viewers who believe Pokemon contains the Project Monarch Illuminati mind control system.
Netflix also provides an additional option that prevents certain titles from playing without a 4-digit pin. This is suitable for parents who may be concerned Peppa Pig contains sensitive elements even though it is classified U – suitable for public viewing.
Astro GO
Astro GO offers HBO series content such as Game of Thrones and The Wire to their customers. Since two years ago the content of the HBO series offered on VOD is no longer censored. Insistence from users who previously had to download illegally to watch edited works may be one of the reasons this was done. It is well known that series like HBO are filled with violent scenes.
Like Netflix, Astro GO also has a built-in content screening system that can be watched. The easiest way is through the Astro GO application itself because after the permission level is set on the device, it will also be used on the Astro TV box set at home,
From within the application, press the menu located at the top left of the screen. Select Settings >> Preferences >> PIN Management. By default, Astro sets the pin as 0000. Change the PIN first before going to the next step.
Then go back to Select Settings >>Preferences>>Parental Controls. Activate Viewing Restrictions and then select the level of content that needs to be filtered. Adult content such as Game of Thrones and Sex and The City has an age rating of 21. Four levels of content restrictions are provided by Astro GO. The strictest level causes all content unsuitable for viewing by children aged 7 and under to be blocked if a PIN is not entered.
HBO GO
Lastly is HBO GO for those who may be more comfortable streaming HBO content directly from a special application and not through Astro GO. From within the application select More >> Parental Control >> Update Limit. Choose the G age limit if you want to prevent content that is not suitable for children under the age of 12. All content can still be viewed by adult users by entering a previously set pin.
We hope that with this article parents will be able to prevent unwanted content from being streamed. You don't have to worry about children accidentally being exposed to adult content.