I just tried to access tshirthell.com on my Desire having just got my first smartphone with 3. It loads a page that says the content is restricted. I called them as I thought I'd just have to say I was over 18, but was told 3 does not allow any of its customers to access the adult websites they want to, even if they pay. You can pay 5 pounds per month to access 3's adult material, but you still can't look at any site you like, including the comedy and culture sites censored by 3 for bad language.
As the network provider that stresses they are all about the best mobile internet experience, this seems crazy. Especially since you can access any sites on any other network.
That's exactly what another friend of mine said. I'm confused though, I Googled this and found comments on a blog post from 3 that had users saying they weren't happy for having their internet access censored by 3, and a spokesperson for 3 replying back saying that's just the way it was.
Saying that though, my friend is on 3 and can access whatever he wants. When I called they were very adamant that no 3 customers can access explicit internet sites containing nudity, excessive bad language, excessive violence and inappropriate content even if they were over 18.
Personally I think it's disgraceful, but Three are adamant and completely unapologetic about it. There seems to be at least two workarounds. I've used the first and can confirm it works a treat.
#1. Change your mobile network settings...
I'm running a Hero, so hopefully these instructions will be roughly the same for you. You'll be changing your mobile network settings and setting up a new APN (Access Point Name).
Go into settings/wireless controls/mobile network settings/Access Point Names. You'll see one padlocked APN there - 3. Go into it to access all the settings. Make a written note of all of them.
Then back out, hit your menu button and create a new APN. I called it 3proxy. Make sure all the settings on it are the same as the padlocked 3 one, except for one crucial change. Change the APN from three.co.uk to 3internet.co.uk.
Make the 3proxy APN your default one and you should now be able to access whatever you like.
#2. Change your default browser...
I haven't tried this, since I only stumbled across it recently. Apparently if you change your browser to Opera mini then you can access whatever you like. It seems Opera uses a proxy so Three don't realise you're accessing restricted sites. Presumably you just download Opera mini from the Marketplace and set it as default.
Hope this helps
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Geejay
Personally I think it's disgraceful, but Three are adamant and completely unapologetic about it. There seems to be at least two workarounds. I've used the first and can confirm it works a treat.
#1. Change your mobile network settings...
I'm running a Hero, so hopefully these instructions will be roughly the same for you. You'll be changing your mobile network settings and setting up a new APN (Access Point Name).
Go into settings/wireless controls/mobile network settings/Access Point Names. You'll see one padlocked APN there - 3. Go into it to access all the settings. Make a written note of all of them.
Then back out, hit your menu button and create a new APN. I called it 3proxy. Make sure all the settings on it are the same as the padlocked 3 one, except for one crucial change. Change the APN from three.co.uk to 3internet.co.uk.
Make the 3proxy APN your default one and you should now be able to access whatever you like.
#2. Change your default browser...
I haven't tried this, since I only stumbled across it recently. Apparently if you change your browser to Opera mini then you can access whatever you like. It seems Opera uses a proxy so Three don't realise you're accessing restricted sites. Presumably you just download Opera mini from the Marketplace and set it as default.
Hope this helps
Both those methods should work fine.
The only slight downside to them is:
#1. Change your mobile network settings...
The 3internet APN doesnt work all of the time on 2G (orange roaming), its a bit hit and miss.
#2. Change your default browser...
Opera mini is not as good as the default browser on the desire, no pinch to zoom etc.
Still these are the only work arounds for the problem at the moment if you dont want to pay £5 per month for the xseries silver add-on.
Hey, I can't get at it (TshirtHell only, no not looked at any of those other sites..) either (N1, froyo, SIM only £15/mo deal). But it says "Over 18 - set a Pin".. you must be bill payer etc. etc... (I'm 62 so that just scrapes the bar...).
No I didn't try setting a PIN...
Cheers!
Lodger
Last edited by theartfullodger; August 4th, 2010 at 04:41 PM.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by theartfullodger
Hey, I can't get at it (TshirtHell only, no not looked at any of those other sites..) either (N1, froyo, SIM only £15/mo deal). But it says "Over 18 - set a Pin".. you must be bill payer etc. etc... (I'm 62 so that just scrapes the bar...).
No I didn't try setting a PIN...
Cheers!
Lodger
You need the xseries silver add-on to get round the content block.. or since your on Android just use the opera mini browser (free from the Android market) when accessing sites that are blocked!
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Originally Posted by JsT
Do they still sell X Series Silver now or has it been replaced? I do hope 3 dont discover this little 'work around'!
You can still get the xseries silver add-on by phoning customer services and asking for it. In fact the xseries silver add-on has actually been recommended by customer services to a few customers who have complained to them about the content filter!
There has been a bit of a riot on the official Three Blog (blog.three.co.uk) about this and this is 3's response:
Quote:
Moderator
on August 10, 2010
@Adrian – No this isn’t true. We take a sensible approach across the handsets and tariffs and the internet filter is used across all our phones and plans, unless you request to have it removed.
(My bold).
Has anyone tried ringing and requesting them to remove their filter? Seems all a bit too easy to me....
Looks like the mod wasn't fully up to speed on current policy...here's a later post. Still an internet filter, and still no way of officially removing it unless you pay £5 a month for the add-on...
Quote:
@AJE – Protecting under 18’s is our key concern, but we are looking at an opt-in/opt-out process for adult content. As we continue to investigate the best way of doing this, we can change the internet add-on on your account which will give you access to sites that were previously not allowed. At the moment there is a charge for this.
To get the adult content restriction removed you have to prove to them you are over 18 for PAYG this means paying them 99p via credit card which they then put into your 3 account. This request comes up as a prompt when you click to purchase anything on what they deem a adult content website.
Last edited by simmy44; August 17th, 2010 at 05:55 PM.
To get the adult content restriction removed you have to prove to them you are over 18 for PAYG this means paying them 99p via credit card which they then put into your 3 account. This request comes up as a prompt when you click to purchase anything on what they deem a adult content website.
Even after setting a PIN they still block some web sites.
The page to enter your credit card is also only HTTP. Not sure that's a good idea!
To get the adult content restriction removed you have to prove to them you are over 18 for PAYG this means paying them 99p via credit card which they then put into your 3 account. This request comes up as a prompt when you click to purchase anything on what they deem a adult content website.
I tried that, but for some reason it doesn't accept my card details, so I can't unlock it. :|
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Originally Posted by sbreadon
i have the wildfire and cannot access any 18+ restricted but could on my nokia e71. I dont understand? anyone help
Sorry I have no idea why you could access adult content on your nokia but you cant now. Unless it has something to do with changing tarrifs since you got your shiney new Wildfire? ..maybe the new tarrif has the content filter in place
Download opera mini from the android market and install that on your Wildfire, it will allow you to access restricted content.
I appear to be lucky, I switched from an old Mix n Match tarrif with x-series silver add-on (which has no content filter) to the Sim £15 rolling contract with free add internet max and can still access any website using the standard HTC Desire browser
I just tried to access tshirthell.com on my Desire having just got my first smartphone with 3. It loads a page that says the content is restricted. I called them as I thought I'd just have to say I was over 18, but was told 3 does not allow any of its customers to access the adult websites they want to, even if they pay. You can pay 5 pounds per month to access 3's adult material, but you still can't look at any site you like, including the comedy and culture sites censored by 3 for bad language.
As the network provider that stresses they are all about the best mobile internet experience, this seems crazy. Especially since you can access any sites on any other network.
Anyone else got a view on this?
Placidmaster here, I just kicked off big style with three telling them in most of the world the net is free and unrestricted, they offered me a 5pounds add on that I said shove it too. I threatened them how google would be a tad miffed and also I had informed BBC watchdog about it, they gave me the add on for free and loads extra met time free too. Told them that people should not have to do this and he did state three are looking into this for all. Moral of the story is, kick off politely, we all do it and they are stuffed
I've just moved back to 3uk and used to have a Nokia 6700 on paygo & didn't have credit/debit cards so used the Opera mini fix.
I now have Galaxy S on contract & a debit card but don't see why I have to pay evan 99p for proof of age when they do a credit check.
Good news is anyone with galaxy s can do the APN trick above but the galaxy s lets you set up multiple APN accounts side by side - meaning you can just switch over to 3INTERNET APN whenever 'needs arise'.
I have to agree with placid on this as I will be calling CS & threatening to cancel both my mobile & broadband Contracts unless they remove the block for good.
What gets me is there is no restrictions on the mbb ?
DICTATORS ! ! !
ps, the reason I don't just stick with the edited VPN is that for some reason I get an error message asking if I'm trying to connect via wifi when trying to access the planet 3 app.
I have just realised I had this problem but a few searches on Three's site and I found a page that states that they are improving access to all by removing this restriction filter. The removal states it is from March for a selection of phones and from July for all phones.
I'm new to this forum so will attempt to paste Three's statement here. If this doesn't work then go to the Three support site and search on "Age restricted websites on your iphone".
I rang them today and got the bar lifted on my Sony X8.
-------------------
Accessing age restricted websites on your iPhone.
Why can’t I access certain websites, such as gambling or adult sites?
Our network uses filters to block access to age restricted websites, including adult content, gambling, some personal blogs and file-sharing sites. We’re now updating the way we handle internet traffic to improve the experience for all our customers so you’ll get open internet access without filters.
From March 2011, you will have open internet access on these smartphones. You also need be over 18 and not have an active filter set up on your account. If your phone is not on the list, please bear with us while we update our data settings. You’ll have open internet access on any phone from July 2011.
Note that you need to be over 18 to have the filters removed. If you’re on Pay As You Go and you haven’t previously been age-verified to use the Top Shelf service, you’ll need to have a credit card in your name to remove the filter.
Why do I sometimes get blocked, but at other times I can view the same site?
We’re updating the way we route internet traffic on our network. While we’re doing this work, you may occasionally get routed through a path that blocks access to certain websites. If this happens, switch off your phone and then switch it on again, or switch it into flight-safe mode and then back – this will reset the connection. This is a temporary problem and shouldn’t happen after 11 April 2011.
How can I apply a filter to block access to age restricted websites?
All you need to do is text FILTER to 33333. The filter will be applied within 72 hours.
Note: if you’re using a BlackBerry, we can’t apply a filter on your phone. This is because BlackBerries use different settings to access the internet.
How do I remove the filter?
As long as you’re over 18 and using a phone that’s listed below, just call us on 333 and we’ll do this for you.
If you’re on Pay As You Go and haven’t previously been age-verified to use the Top Shelf service, you’ll need to have a credit card in your name to remove the filter.
Open internet access will at first become available on these smartphones. If you don’t have one of the phones on the list, please bear with us while we update our data settings. You’ll have open internet access on any phone from July 2011.
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Thanx for this info tiggy, I went to the 3 blog site & there is a dedicated post which if your not familiar with the site lets you respond (the mods frequently respond to posts and its a very friendly site) to the topic in question.
So my 3 contract allows me 1gig Internet per month which I bumped up to an extra 2 gig just to be safe for another £5 per month. But when I called to get the 'Restriction' lifted the guy said the only way to do it at the mo was to add the 'X Series Silver' add on which he told me was free & included 2gig of Internet meaning that I no longer needed saving me £5 p/m :-->
I don't think it was actually the above suggestion that worked. Just a coincidence that the restrictions were removed after I did that.
I had sent 3 a complaint about this but didn't get a response so forgot all about it. But some new settings have appeared on my phone so I guess it caught their attention.
So set your APN to 3internet.co.uk__default,supl,mms and it should work.
Personally I think it's disgraceful, but Three are adamant and completely unapologetic about it. There seems to be at least two workarounds. I've used the first and can confirm it works a treat.
#1. Change your mobile network settings...
I'm running a Hero, so hopefully these instructions will be roughly the same for you. You'll be changing your mobile network settings and setting up a new APN (Access Point Name).
Go into settings/wireless controls/mobile network settings/Access Point Names. You'll see one padlocked APN there - 3. Go into it to access all the settings. Make a written note of all of them.
Then back out, hit your menu button and create a new APN. I called it 3proxy. Make sure all the settings on it are the same as the padlocked 3 one, except for one crucial change. Change the APN from three.co.uk to 3internet.co.uk.
Make the 3proxy APN your default one and you should now be able to access whatever you like.
#2. Change your default browser...
I haven't tried this, since I only stumbled across it recently. Apparently if you change your browser to Opera mini then you can access whatever you like. It seems Opera uses a proxy so Three don't realise you're accessing restricted sites. Presumably you just download Opera mini from the Marketplace and set it as default.
Hope this helps
NEITHER of these methods worked for me. And all those stating its as simple as using opera mini twice I've downlownloaded it, and ive run it the above apn modifications neither time could it bypass 3's filter.
NEITHER of these methods worked for me. And all those stating its as simple as using opera mini twice I've downlownloaded it, and ive run it the above apn modifications neither time could it bypass 3's filter.
I just tried the apn switch, on a wildfire. it failed here too I'll give 'em a bell later.
As I am using the portable hotspot, I am not going to try opera mini.
I've had the 30day rolling one-plan for almost 3 months, suffice to say I verified proof of age with credit card details etc and 3 have debited the 99p for 'top-shelf'....no problems until today!
Yesterday I gave them a PAC code for my old Virgin phone number to transfer over to 3 network which takes 24hrs to process...guess what, surprise, surprise today the topshelf restricted page comes up for dozens of sites where hither to had no problems accessing.
Funnily enough it asks for my credit card details again wont accept them, but allowed me to change my pin??
Will phone 3 tomorrow and let you know what the outcome was....it cant be off one minute and on the next, thats just inconsistent policy on 3's part....I'll follow Placidmaster' tactics or just cancel and get another 30day rolling one-plan sim and cancel this one: a pain as a work around and I dont get to keep my old number!!!
U have to call 3 and they have to unlock the internet for u. I told them my previous contract was unlimited so they gave me unlimited interet for free.
I called 3 customer services and asked them to remove the filter, which they did. They were reluctant at first but then I got all serious with them. I told them I was trying to access urbandictionary.com but was being forwarded to 3's 18-Restricted page, which was offering a list of 3's own adult content. I told them that it was unacceptable for them to try and sell me pornography when I was trying to access a dictionary website. They took my point and removed the filter.
Sorry I have no idea why you could access adult content on your nokia but you cant now. Unless it has something to do with changing tarrifs since you got your shiney new Wildfire? ..maybe the new tarrif has the content filter in place
Download opera mini from the android market and install that on your Wildfire, it will allow you to access restricted content.
I appear to be lucky, I switched from an old Mix n Match tarrif with x-series silver add-on (which has no content filter) to the Sim £15 rolling contract with free add internet max and can still access any website using the standard HTC Desire browser
setting opera as browser didnt work, i dont have a bank acxcount been told i have to go to a three store with I.D if i do this it better be lifted
Three seems to be blocking purchases through veripayment which is rather annoying as I don't feel comfortable entering credit card details through the TOR network and have no other internet access.
I tried the 3internet APN and that didn't work for me.
Hey guys,I tried changing my apn as instructed above. It works fine. However I was wondering if it is legal. Going into the 3 app I realised that the network now thinks that my phone is a dongle,meaning I was unable to log in to any account as I do not have broadband. My programme entitles me to as much as I can eat data and some free talks and messanges.yet at some point I even managed to make a phonecall to a phone number abroad.I guess I could also make calls to uk numbers without being charged.Switching back to the original settings everything worked fine ( my balance was 0 pounds as before,my programme was the same) but of course the restriction reappeared.
I just tried to access tshirthell.com on my Desire having just got my first smartphone with 3. It loads a page that says the content is restricted. I called them as I thought I'd just have to say I was over 18, but was told 3 does not allow any of its customers to access the adult websites they want to, even if they pay. You can pay 5 pounds per month to access 3's adult material, but you still can't look at any site you like, including the comedy and culture sites censored by 3 for bad language.
As the network provider that stresses they are all about the best mobile internet experience, this seems crazy. Especially since you can access any sites on any other network.
Anyone else got a view on this?
Can't believe the 3 network, did'nt tell me this when i sighned up for there service, not just adult material there blocking, cant access any proxy sites, blocking nearly every site with the word proxy in it, where is 3 based "China". will advise everyone i know not to go with the 3 network.
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Adult websites permanantly restricted on 3?!
I'll give 'em a bell later.
18+
