How can I stop looking at porn on my Blackberry?

February 27, 2009 8:40 AM

How can I stop looking at porn on my Blackberry?

I've been struggling with a porn addiction for years, but as I live in a flat without internet I have been fine for the last few months. However, I just got a Blackberry Curve, as I need emails for work, and am starting to slip back into my bad habits.

As far as I can tell there are no porn filters designed for Blackberry, and my service provider can't place any filters on the thing or separate my internet access from my email-server access. I don't need the internet, so I'm prepared to do anything as long as the email service remains intact. Do any of you know anything I can do to render my phone porn/internet free? Preferably in a way that cannot be undone in moments of extreme compulsion. If this continues I'll have to get rid of the phone, it's a major distraction and is scuppering my therapy!

posted by anonymous to computers & internet (11 comments total)

i think you can delete the web browser.. it's a service pack innit? go to blackberry forums they should know.
posted by By The Grace of God at 8:44 AM on February 27 [1 favorite has favorites]

Maybe you could find a "Family-safe" proxy and run the browser through that? Or maybe have it use OpenDNS and add your own filters?

Sorry I don't have any specific information now. I'll see if I can dig up some research and post it here later.
posted by coolin86 at 9:02 AM on February 27

From your use of the word "flat" I have to assume you're in the UK, so I'm not sure how applicable this will be, but in Canada I have the option of an email-only plan for my Curve, or an email and internet browsing plan. The email plan is $15 a month and includes no internet access of any kind, so you may want to look into getting something like that for your phone.
posted by kate blank at 9:24 AM on February 27

I just posted a question about restricting access from an Ipod Touch--you might want to check that out.

Also, feel free to ignore the posters in that thread who think that there is never a good reason to filter your internet access.
posted by mecran01 at 9:52 AM on February 27 [1 favorite has favorites]

You can always turn off images in the browser options.
posted by RobotNinja at 9:58 AM on February 27 [1 favorite has favorites]

If it's at the level of addiction, I'd look into a solution that doesn't have an instant workaround. So running through a Proxy, turning on some sort of safe search, uninstalling the browser or anything else you can easily get around might not be the best ideas. I'd really look into an email only plan or even a different phone. A buddy of mine has a phone that only does calls, text, and email no option for the internet, but that solution means a new phone. Though, I might have an idea of how to get an answer for the blackberry...

Could you call the support line for the people that make it and see if they have any ideas. If you're embarrassed about the topic say you are thinking of giving the phone to your young kid and want to make sure the web is filtered in some way that can't be worked around.
posted by magikker at 11:41 AM on February 27

Are you using an "Enterprise Server"? (Did your admin give you an "Enterprise activation password")
posted by SirStan at 1:51 PM on February 27

You can also "break" the webbrowsing ability of the unit, while retaining the email capacity by changing some settings.
posted by SirStan at 1:51 PM on February 27

Are your mail servers on reasonably constant IP addresses? I am not familiar with blackberries, but you could use IP addresses for mail, then set the DNS server to 127.0.0.1, effectively breaking web browsing.
posted by ghost of a past number at 2:30 PM on February 27

Talk to your cellular provider. Assuming that you only need emails and not the web for work, you should be able to have them remove web capability whilst leaving the email flowing. It's a matter of which service books they allow you to have. The only way you'd be able to turn it back on would be by calling your provider back and asking them to hook the web back up.

Or, like kate blank said.
posted by heavenstobetsy at 5:54 PM on February 27

a) Give up your blackberry and downgrade to a cheapo phone with no browser
b) Get a PEEK (for email)
posted by special-k at 10:02 AM on February 28