Safari 5 Private Browsing.. I want to delete it

my son, has been told how to hide what he searches from us by using it.

I want to disable it, and ideas how. I have searched and can see how to do it in 4... but nothing on 5

thank you for your help

J

Maybe through System Preferences > Parental Controls?

You need to have an Admin account that your son does not know the password to, and no other Admin account that he does know it for.

The best way of achieving this is probably to use Parental Controls. That said, I'm not sure what kind of control you'll have over Safari (never used it here myself). Note though that even if you disable it, your son could still easily clear out the history and cache from the menu, erasing any browsing history. He could also use a different browser which would negate any settings you've setup for Safari.

The greater issue is what your son is doing. At the risk of sounding as if I'm telling you what to do, perhaps you should just address this with your son. If you keep trying to find ways to block it, he'll find ways around it and you're left with a constant ongoing battle that won't solve itself. I just gave two examples of how he can get around a disabled private browsing setting and there are likely many more. Talk to your son because otherwise, you won't resolve this anytime soon.

Why don't you just look around for cheap(or possibly even free)keylogger software. My kid is not old enough to be on the computer yet, but when he is I will definitely be using some sort of keylogger to keep track of what he is doing.

Also another solution is go to your sharing preferences, and set up screen sharing. That way you can go on a different computer and easily see exactly what is on his screen without him knowing.

The other security measure that limits one's ability to truly browse privately is the location of the computer. If it's out where someone can easily walk behind the user and see what's on the screen, and regularly too, then there's nothing private about it. The mouse is not quicker than the human eye. Now, if that browsing is taking place when no one else is home, you'll have to be more creative, but there are ways.

Parental controls

Parental controls do not limit private browsing completely, but it can log the activity, apparently even in a private browsing setting. The controls for clearing the activity are within the password protected parental controls area.

disclaimer: I am not a parent.

Can you not move the computer into a public space where it can only be used when other people are present?

Would it not be possible for you to set up the computer so that it can only be used after YOU have entered the login password, and thus you are present when it is being used?

chas_m said:

Can you not move the computer into a public space where it can only be used when other people are present?

Click to expand...

Suggested by me back in April '11 in post #5. And I'm a parent.
But I doubt that the OP is looking in on this anymore.