Parental Guidance Lock

Frequently asked questions about Parental Guidance Lock

• What is Parental Guidance Lock?
• What are Guidance labels?
• How do I set up Parental Guidance Lock?
• How do I turn off Parental Guidance Lock?
• How do I retrieve my password?
• How do I change my Parental Guidance Lock email address or password?
• What are the terms and conditions for using the Parental Guidance Lock?

What is Parental Guidance Lock?

We've developed the Parental Guidance Lock as a safeguard to help you control which BBC programmes you can play on your computer. If you've enabled Parental Guidance Lock your computer won't be able to play Guidance-labelled programmes unless you first type in a password.

To turn on Parental Guidance Lock, click the Parental Guidance link in the bottom right of any BBC page that offers you a programme and you will then be asked for a password and email address. We ask for your email address so that we can send you your password in case it is forgotten.

The BBC does not hold a copy of your email address, it's encrypted and stored on your computer in a BBC cookie. More on the BBC's privacy policy.

Once the Parental Guidance Lock is turned on, anyone using your computer will always be prompted for the password if they wish to view any Guidance-labelled content.

Please note that Parental Guidance Lock doesn't work in Macintosh OSX 10.4 with Safari 1.3.2.

What are Guidance labels?

We use Guidance labels to let you know when a programme may include content unsuitable for young audiences (eg. violence, sex, drug use or strong language) or when it may be harmful to view (eg. contains flashing images). Guidance labelling is usually used for television programmes that were broadcast after the 'Watershed' (9.00pm).

We give you a way to help you control the types of programmes that your computer can play through Parental Guidance Lock. Please be aware that if you do not set the Parental Guidance Lock any child using your computer will be able to view all programmes, including
Guidance-labelled programmes.

How do I set up Parental Guidance Lock?

The first time you try to watch a Guidance-labelled programme, the Parental Guidance Lock warning will appear and ask you to confirm you are aged 16 or over and, if so, invite you to set up Parental Guidance Lock.

If you are aged 16 or over, please tick the box next to Yes, I am aged 16 or older. If you wish to set up Parental Guidance Lock, please first ensure that cookies are enabled, then click on the option to set up Parental Guidance Lock.

Setting up Parental Guidance Lock requires you to provide a password for security purposes and an email address in case you forget this password.

To set up the Parental Guidance Lock at a later date, select the Parental Guidance link located at the bottom right of any BBC page that offers you a programme.

How do I turn off Parental Guidance Lock?

To turn off Parental Guidance Lock, click the Parental Guidance link in the bottom right of any BBC page that offers you a programme. You will be asked to enter the password you used when you set up Parental Guidance Lock.

Once it is turned off, you'll be able to view all BBC video and audio content without entering your password.

You can turn Parental Guidance Lock back on again by simply clicking the link to Parental Guidance Lock. You will not need to type in your password to turn Parental Guidance Lock back on.

How do I retrieve my password?

If you have forgotten your password simply click the forgotten password link from within the media player or bbc.co.uk/guidance and we will send out a reminder to the email address entered during the password setup.

If you have changed your email address and no longer have access to the account that was used to set up the Parental Guidance Lock you will need to delete your cookies and set up a new account.

How do I change my Parental Guidance Lock email address or password?

Although you can turn the Parental Guidance Lock on and off, there is no way at present to change your email address or password. Instead, you can reset Parental Guidance Lock by deleting your cookies. You can then set up the Parental Guidance Lock with a new email address and password by clicking on the link to Parental Guidance Lock, in the bottom right corner of any BBC web page that offers you a programme.

How to delete Parental Guidance Lock cookies

This depends on the browser you use.

Internet Explorer 6

1. 1. Select Internet Options from the Tools menu.
2. 2. In the Temporary Internet files section, click on Delete Cookies

Internet Explorer 7

1. 1. Select Internet Options from the Tools menu.
2. 2. In the General section, click on Delete Cookies

Firefox

1. 1. Select Options from the Tools menu. Click on the Privacy tab and select Show cookies.
2. 2. Find the bbc.co.uk folder and open it by double clicking it.
3. 3. Select the cookies called BBCPG and BBCPGstat and click on remove cookies.

Safari

1. 1. Select Preferences from the Safari menu. Click on the Security tab then select Show cookies.
2. 2. Select the cookies called BBCPG and BBCPGstat and click on remove.

What are the terms and conditions for using the Parental Guidance Lock?

If you permit a child to use your computer you are solely responsible for determining whether the BBC content is appropriate for that child to view. BBC Parental Guidance Lock provides a way to help you control how Guidance-labelled BBC programmes may be played on your computer. If you turn on BBC Parental Guidance Lock your computer will not be able to access Guidance-labelled programmes unless you type in a password. You can adjust the settings using the Parental Guidance Lock link at the bottom right of any BBC web page that offers you a programme. You can also set up a separate Parental Guidance Lock for downloads in BBC iPlayer Desktop. Please be aware that if you do not set up Parental Guidance Lock, any child using your computer will be able to view all programmes including Guidance-labelled programmes.

Further Help

• Parental Guidance Lock