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Can you block online shopping from a home computer?

We are having a problem with someone in the house using credit cards to make purchases online without permission. This is a symptom of a larger problem with depression that we are working through, with the online spending being comparable to a drinking for an alcoholic. I want to help them by making this a fail proof environment. Any suggestions? Please, we need your help. The person is an adult and many of the sites are "adult" but not all.

Public Comments

  1. No, there's no way to automatically block all shopping sites. They'll need to learn will power to get better.
  2. you can get somthing like Net Nanny (http://www.netnanny.com) which will block adult websites and other categories you choose which may include shopping sites, but as far as blocking buying all together, i think your best bet would be to get a new credit card.
  3. If you are using Windows go to Control Panel and then to Set Up Parental Contols For Any User. I am not 100%sure what that will do but I think you could block some certain websites that you want to.
  4. You can approach this a couple of ways. You can take away the CCs. You can filter everything on the net through your browser. Or you can filter with a firewall. If this problem is as big as you say, I would do a couple of things. Take the cards. Relocate the computer to a room where people always are. Password protect the user account so that some one has to long this person into the computer before they can use it. In IE you need to open the Internet Options dialog. Its found under Tool. Select the Security Tab and this is where you can specify which sites to block or which to allow. I would suggest block all, but the sites that you use daily like email. A last line is a firewall. This can be done through a router if you have one since they have a hardware firewall built in most of the time. Where you find these options very by manufacturer, but they are all similar. I have a Linksys that allows me to specify key word and/or web sites. I can also block the Internet connection to whichever computer is on my network for specified time periods. We have a PC in our living room that we lock down every night this way. A router also serves another security purpose and that is that it hides you internal network from the rest of the world. This makes it hard for a malicious user to get onto your system. Since your problem is visiting adult site, I would make sure that you have a good AV and a good spyware program. Good luck. Oh last piece of advice from a recovering addict, talk with the person. You can do all this, but they may find ways around it. They have to want to help themselves.
  5. I don't think so
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