Can't block Messenger built-in browser

[BuboBubo]

I am not able to block Messenger built-in web-browser, while I don't want to block whole Messenger. I want to use Messenger for writing messages only. However, when I click on a link sent by Messenger, all websites are available. Any possible help?

[kmscom]

Messenger - this is some kind of extension for correspondence in the browser? or some kind of separate program?

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Messenger - this is some kind of extension for correspondence in the browser? or some kind of separate program?

Facebook Messenger (commonly known as Messenger) is a messaging app and platform. Thanks!

[BuboBubo]

Yes, and problem is that this Messenger has its own web browser which is without restrictions by Kaspesky Safe KIds.

[BuboBubo]

Messenger - this is some kind of extension for correspondence in the browser? or some kind of separate program?

Facebook Messenger (commonly known as Messenger) is a messaging app and platform. Thanks!

Yes, and problem is that this Messenger has its own web browser. It means that if somebody (or you can send it to yourself) sends you a web-link, then you can open it with this built-in web-browser. And, of course, Kaspersky Safe kids doesn't work for this built-in web-browser, so your kid can search the Internet without restrictions.

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello BuboBubo, Agreed. Have you asked Technical Support ( https://my.kaspersky.com/ ) about the issue you've identified? Not trying to fob you off, but, it would be very interesting to know their assessment? Thanks!

[BuboBubo]

Hello FLOOD, thank you for your reply. I haven't asked Technical Support yet, but I am going to do it now... We will see what their opinion is.

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello BuboBubo, Thank you, it will indeed be very interesting to read what the Lab advise? Especially now, they've advised enhanced KSK "control": Alex Perekalin, June 17, 2019 Smart control for smart kids http://links.kaspersky.sm/c/2GG/H1j/KDMm9Do0kbw-LF4_EwPl2y/bP/P_J/F/40cb6a2e Our kids should surpass us in every way: talent, looks, happiness, intelligence. But children seem to get too smart too quick these days, and they can end up giving their parents the runaround in the most innocent yet cunning ways. Today’s fifth graders know very well what their parents are hiding from them, how to open locked doors, and where to find forbidden fruit online. To stop inherently curious kids from venturing off the trail online, we have parental control applications, such as Kaspersky Safe Kids. In theory, these programs restrict access to apps and websites that, according to parents, are not appropriate for kids’ consumption. But in practice, children quickly learn to bypass such restrictions or even use them for their own purposes. If you see that your child has bypassed your parental controls, your initial reaction may well be overwhelming pride — what a brain! But it’s clearly a problem, and the solution isn’t immediately obvious. Never fear: We’ve updated Kaspersky Safe Kids to tackle three typical problems that parents of overly savvy kids might face.

The buck stops at Wikipedia

Kaspersky Safe Kids has always had an option to restrict access to websites with particular types of content. It is quite typical for parents not to want their youngsters to peruse adult content, read forums about weapons, or obtain information about certain other topics. But classifying all websites on the Internet is fundamentally impossible — they appear faster than we can squeeze them into categories. So, crafty kids have always been able to find what they wanted on some obscure sites that we had not yet managed to add to our lists. But no more. We have implemented the Block all websitesfeature, which (as the name suggests) blocks access to all sites except those that parents manually add to the list of exclusions. So, say, Wikipedia, NASA.gov, and other potentially useful tools can go in this list, and children’s access to all other sites is safely blocked. The option is disabled by default. If you turn it on, all sites, except those you’ve added to the white list, are effectively blacklisted, thus preventing children from viewing them. The feature is currently available only in Windows, but will soon appear also in Kaspersky Safe Kids apps for Android and iOS.

How to keep access to your favorite applications

“Mom, I was at Tony’s house! Yes, till 10 p.m. No, I couldn’t call or text. You blocked all the apps yourself, and told me not to call ’cause you had important meetings. So I didn’t call.” To many users of Kaspersky Safe Kids, such excuses may sound familiar. The application has a function that allows you to block access to all applications except the phone – which is handy, but, as it turned out, not sufficient. Messengers have invaded our lives to such an extent that it is often easier to use them to contact your kid than to call, for a variety of reasons. As a result, many parents requested a feature that would let them create a white list of applications that includes more than the phone itself, and to block everything else. We listened and added such a function to the new version of Kaspersky Safe Kids. Now it is possible to whitelist useful applications and block all the rest during a certain period of time (say, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday to Friday). In other words, you can ban games from the classroom but allow anytime use of electronic dictionaries and the messenger you use to keep in touch. This video demonstrates how to set up the feature:

Deleting Kaspersky Safe Kids just got harder

Perhaps the worst headache for parents of smart, persevering kids occurs when the kids try to turn off or delete Kaspersky Safe Kids, and then use the device as they please. On a computer, this is harder to do (and no, we don’t have an instructional video for that), but on Android it’s relatively simple. Actually, that’s a problem common to all parental control applications, not just ours — easy deletion is an Android OS quirk. Kaspersky Safe Kids uses certain permissions for overriding the system interface with its own. This is necessary, for example, to block access to settings that the child could use to turn off parental control permissions, depriving the application of a good half of its features and effectively disabling it. But on some devices it was possible, by prodding the screen very quickly, to get into these settings and rob the application of the permissions required for its operation. Very few manage it with the first attempt, but, as everyone knows, children can be amazingly persistent when it comes to things that aren’t allowed. So given enough tries, someone was bound to get inside. Now, however, after two such attempts, Kaspersky Safe Kids temporarily blocks the phone for a minute, preventing the child from disabling parental control.

[BuboBubo]

Hello FLOOD, thank you. So I've asked Technical Support and send them all details including reports from mobile phone. I guess they are working on it, but I have no solution so far. I will let you know when I will know more.

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello BuboBubo, Thank you for posting back. If after 3 more weels you've not heard from Technical Support, please contact them and ask for an update? & please do keep us informed. Best regards.

[Flood and Flood's wife]

So I've asked Technical Support and send them all details including reports from mobile phone. I guess they are working on it, but I have no solution so far. I will let you know when I will know more.

Hello BuboBubo, ' Welcome back! Yes please, do keep us informed, there are many people interested in this issue. Best regards!

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello BuboBubo, ' Welcome back! Yes please, do keep us informed, there are many people interested in this issue. Best regards!

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello BuboBubo, ' Welcome back! Sometimes, it can take a while for the Lab to provide updates, however, it never hurts to ask for an update. Give them a little more time and then maybe make an inquiry. & please, do keep us informed, there are many people interested in this issue. Best regards!

[BuboBubo]

Hello BuboBubo, '
Welcome back!
Sometimes, it can take a while for the Lab to provide updates, however, it never hurts to ask for an update.
Give them a little more time and then maybe make an inquiry.
& please, do keep us informed, there are many people interested in this issue.
Best regards!

 

Hello FLOOD, 

So, until now, the technical support hasn't given me an answer. On the other hand, when I tried to open websites through Messenger, it always redirected me to Chrome and then blocked the site (even though I haven't set up Chrome as default browser). I don't know if it works for other users of Kaspersky.

 

Best regards!

 

[Berny]

@BuboBubo Can you please PM your K-Lab INC reference.

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @BuboBubo,

Welcome back!

1. After 1 year, Support have said nothing🤔 ? 
2. Is the request still open? 
3. May we know the request reference number please? 

Thank you🙏

Flood🐳

[Flood and Flood's wife]

Hello @BuboBubo,

Welcome back😀 !

• Also, Kaspersky have acknowledged an issue where certain apps may “piggyback” on other apps, when this happens, KSK does not function correctly; this was not known, when you raised this topic, a year ago. 
• According to the Kaspersky developers advice (Jan 2020) “certain apps KSK is supposed to block, due to a limitation in the design of Safe Kids, does not work. We’re aware of the occurrence and are already looking to make an improvement.”

1. Regarding “ I haven't set up Chrome as default browser”, which browser has been configured as default please? 

• Please note Kaspersky’s advice: to ensure www content is filtered, Kaspersky recommends adjusting Kaspersky Safe Kids settings so that only Google Chrome browser is allowed.

Please let us know?

Thank you🙏

Flood🐳

[BuboBubo]

Hello @BuboBubo,

Welcome back😀 !

• Also, Kaspersky have acknowledged an issue where certain apps may “piggyback” on other apps, when this happens, KSK does not function correctly; this was not known, when you raised this topic, a year ago. 
• According to the Kaspersky developers advice (Jan 2020) “certain apps KSK is supposed to block, due to a limitation in the design of Safe Kids, does not work. We’re aware of the occurrence and are already looking to make an improvement.”

1. Regarding “ I haven't set up Chrome as default browser”, which browser has been configured as default please? 

• Please note Kaspersky’s advice: to ensure www content is filtered, Kaspersky recommends adjusting Kaspersky Safe Kids settings so that only Google Chrome browser is allowed.

Please let us know?

Thank you🙏

Flood🐳

 

Hello @FLOOD (and @Berny), 

I am very sorry for the misunderstanding - I have clicked something different in my phone settings and have thought I deselect Chrome as default (but I still had Chrome as default, and that's why I was redirected).

The true state of things is that I have Google Chrome as a default browser, and when I allow Messenger to use its web browser, I can still access all websites without restrictions.

Hopefully, Kaspersky Developers will find some improvement. Once again, I am sorry for my previous wrong reply.

Best regards!

[Berny]

@BuboBubo Also ,  your INC is referring to a known Bug but atm we can’t provide an eta for a fix.

[BuboBubo]

@BuboBuboAlso ,  your INC is referring to a known Bug but atm we can’t provide an eta for a fix.

Thank you, Berny, for an honest answer. I believe that someday some fix will be found ;)