What is a kosher smartphone

TranquilityAndPeace

Wed, Sep 05 2018, 7:44 am

Contact TAG.

718-225-5824

Some people have a smartphone with no apps other than email, Waze, WhatsApp, and banking - that's considered a kosher smart phone. No browser or social media, and downloading apps is blocked. My sons friends in Yeshiva have these kinds of tagged phones.

Metukah

Wed, Sep 05 2018, 8:08 am

You buy a regular smartphone and take it to an organisation like tag to put on a filter. Most Phones can be filtered, but if you're not sure, you can call tag and check first.

There are various types of filters, ones where apps and browsers are allowed they are just filtered, like on k9. There are tighter ones where you can install a few apps that you chose and that's it.

You chose what level of protection/filter you want.

amother

Mistyrose

Wed, Sep 05 2018, 8:55 am

Fyi, TAG (at least my local one) is very against WhatsApp for teens. It isn't filterable, groups that start for one purpose can have anything posted on them, and the organizers can add you back if you drop out. So in many places, a koshe smartphone may not include it.

Maya

Wed, Sep 05 2018, 9:40 am

You don’t have to go to TAG. Any iPhone will have parental control settings. You can turn off access to the browsers and restrict access to the App Store. You don’t need a filter if there’s nothing to filter.

amother

Plum

Wed, Sep 05 2018, 9:42 am

amother wrote:

Our local TAG office will not do any work on a smartphone for kids who are still in high school.

Metukah

Wed, Sep 05 2018, 9:46 am

amother wrote:

There is actually a 'kosher' whatsapp. You cannot join groups, view or post statuses and I believe send or receive videos.

Raisin

Wed, Sep 05 2018, 9:47 am

Maya wrote:

Not everyone wants, or can afford, an iphone.

My daughter is in Seminary and all smartphones have to be filtered by the school office. For Iphones they just use the inbuilt controls, but androids have some type of filter added to them.

TranquilityAndPeace

Wed, Sep 05 2018, 9:55 am

Metukah wrote:

There is actually a 'kosher' whatsapp. You cannot join groups, view or post statuses and I believe send or receive videos.

I'd love more information about this! How can I find out about it; I've never heard of it!

Metukah

Wed, Sep 05 2018, 9:58 am

Maya wrote:

Parental control settings are not enough for charedi young people in my opinion. We do not have the same values and belief in what is appropriate. I would not trust apple to decide what is okay and what is not okay for my children. Actually, even for me. If something isn't p**nographic it does not mean it is appropriate.

'אין אפוטרופוס לעריות' (No one can be relied upon when it comes to adultery/incest/inappropriate behaviours)
and
'אל תאמין בעצמך עד יום מותך' (A person can't trust himself to not sin, he must put protections in place)
are 2 pesukim that come to mind.

Metukah

Wed, Sep 05 2018, 10:00 am

TranquilityAndPeace wrote:

I'd love more information about this! How can I find out about it; I've never heard of it!

I don't really know because I don't have it, but maybe contact your local tag office.

Maya

Wed, Sep 05 2018, 10:01 am

Metukah wrote:

Are you reading what I’m writing? If there is no access to a browser and to the App Store, then there is no internet access besides for a select few apps which you can download before shutting the access. It’s entirely controlled by you.

Metukah

Wed, Sep 05 2018, 10:08 am

Raisin wrote:

I didn't notice your post before I responded. That is also true.

I don't actually know much about iphone parental control, so it may actually be enough, but from the other parental controls I know (from the network providers) , they never seem to be enough.

Also, if an adult wants to have these controls, if they use the apple parental control they can always change it themselves, so for someone who doesn't want that , tag is preferable.

Metukah

Wed, Sep 05 2018, 10:11 am

Maya wrote:

Sorry, I don't know apple well, so I didn't realise that is what their parental control is about. But, I have a few issues with that. Firstly, an adult may not want to have control over it and secondly, it seems there is no middle way. What if someone does want browser access, but filtered?

I have tag on my phone, but not very strong controls. I can download all apps. They don't always work, but I can email tag, during work hours and within a few minutes it is usually resolved. I also have a filtered browser and if I can't access a page I want to access, again I email them.

All this costs me is $60-70 per year. Totally worth it.

WastingTime

Wed, Sep 05 2018, 12:13 pm

heidi wrote:

In Israel a kosher smartphone has access to Waze, email and watsap. You buy it that way. It costs no more than a regular smartphone.

If you want a kosher smartphone with a "hechsher" it most certainly costs a lot more. Through Nativ or other such companies