Removal of Sky Broadband Buddy

[gefnan]

Why have Sky removed Broadband Buddy.

It was the best tool to block access to gambling websites and control wifi to specific devices on your network.

This is a massive setback to prevent addiction assist recovery.

I can't believe there is now no Gambling filter available from Sky Broadband.

Gutted & it's shameful 😞

[Highlinder]

@gefnanIf you wish to complain to Sky about its removal you can do so using the link below.

https://www.sky.com/help/articles/how-to-make-a-complaint 

[gefnan]

Unfortunately after hours on the phone and speaking to a helpful guy called Adrian and trying all the age categories in sky shield it appears there is no gambling filter available so every age can access gambling sites. You can only block 20 specific sites which is a drop in the ocean. I complained by email and was referred to complaints!! and to sky shield. A gambling charity for affected others (@gamfam) tried on my behalf via twitter and were told they had removed sky buddy for reasons they were not prepared to discuss and that there is no escalation process end of. It's an immoral disgrace. Probably in cahoots with sky bet. I am lost what to do next.

[Chrisee]

@gefnan there are third party apps you can install on your devices that can filter traffic Most internet security software vendors have an add-on or you can buy free-standing apps. Plenty of sites review tge range like this one https://hyperjar.com/blog/kids-best-parental-control-apps-for-your-childs-phone-uk

[gefnan]

Hi. Thanks for this. My son is 21 and has gamban on his phone now however it is not hack proof although it should be a deterrent. My point is that sky has no gambling filter available to stop any age accessing these sites. You can only ban 20 of them which is a drop in the ocean. Being involved in the carnage that this invisible addiction causes for over 3 years now and doing everything I can to help my son and others I just find it unbelievable that sky have removed sky buddy and have no gambling website filter. Their replies to my complaints via email and twitter @GamFam is unbelievable and demonstrate a complete lack of a duty of care towards their customers in particular vulnerable people and young children. It is allowing the grooming of kids into a life of possible addiction financial and family ruin which so often ends in prison or suicide. They have filters for porn, drugs, guns, alcohol but not gambling. I despair.

[Chrisee]

@gefnan having in a previous life advised people either with their own gambling issues or a family member I know how difficult this issue can be. I would agree Sky's decision to remove the Broadband Buddy is a backward step and for what it is worth a group of forum Superusers made that view clear to the boss of the service at a meeting last year.

You do need to register your concern with Sky by formally complaining as we know complaints do make an impression. To clarify Sky do not own Sky Bet, their minority interest in that business was sold to in 2018 when Comcast bought Sky see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sky_Betting_%26_Gaming. 

[gefnan]

I have submitted a complaint by phone and email. Please see below. Hopefully it might trigger some sort of morality attack but I doubt it.

Thank you

Hi.

This has not helped. As I explained before no matter what age categories I selected you can still access gambling sites. I can only block 20 and there are hundreds of them. How do you justify not having a gambling sites filter? This is an active step towards promoting the grooming of children to end up gambling and does nothing to deter it. A charity @@gamfam.co.uk contacted you by twitter and the reply from your colleague was inadequate and shocking

https://twitter.com/gamfamcharity/status/1646162537824628739?s=48&t=PPKBiM628TQ3uHT5PFtQxA

Please look at this twitter feed.

I am at a loss what to do next. I have been with sky for over 25 years and relied on you to have integrity and thought you cared. It seems not and that you are putting money before the safety of children. This is shameful. Was this decision biased by sky bet? Or lobbying by corrupt MPs. 

If it's not resolved I will be taking it to the BBC and to Ian Duncan Smith MP who I am aware does not have any dodgy affiliation with gambling companies. This is all unnecessary. Why have you removed the gambling filter. It beggars belief.

John

[Brummy000 · Accepted solution]

There is an alternative and it's Circle Parental Controls App, there is a charge unfortunately and it has very good reviews. BT have their own built in parental controls if you have their broadband. I'll be switching to BT once my contract is over with sky!! I relied on the Sky Buddy app for bedtime, study time etc... like a lot of parents but I guess it's another way of cutting costs at sky?! But the charges seem to go up year on year! Not a very good way of retaining customers!! For this, they will definitely lose customers!!

[IHateSteps]

Maybe I'm a little later in replying but have you taken a look at OpenDNS?  They offer a variety of packages from £free to horrendous, but they offer a family page at the equivalent to $20 per year which allows for adult as the base option, then the ability to further filter a variety of different categories which include gambling.

The best feature of using OpenDNS is that you have only to configure your broadband router (or just your PC) to use OpenDNS' own DNS servers.  Compared with most IPS's DNS servers, you'll probably get a better response to DNS queries overall, actually speeding up your browsing overall.

It costs nothing to subscribe to the basic free package - what have you to lose?

[TimmyBGood]

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@IHateSteps wrote:

The best feature of using OpenDNS is that you have only to configure your broadband router

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Unfortunately Sky (like BT) does not permit DNS on their branded router(s) to be changed.

[IHateSteps]

I must confess, in retrospect, that I recall seeing greyed out DNS settings when I was getting really frustrated with other settings these past few days.

With a background in IT support myself I can respect a need to make support of a service rational, reducing the sheer number of factors that can make a service unsupportable, but that said there has to be a midway point between user freedom and the feeling of being locked in.

Other ISPs are more than willing to allow users to make a variety of choices in their settings, and not always accompanied by greater service costs.  I must confess I was surprised by the quality of 'user support' in these forums (fora?) - but maybe I shouldn't have been.

Either way, Windows will allow you to separate DNS server configuration from the other settings - leaving them to whatever DHCP sets, so for most people I thing OpenDNS or similar services still represent at least a free option for experimentation.

[TD1969]

Really frustrated this tool has been removed, at least it got the kids off the internet to go to bed and we felt better about having some filtering in place... now it unfettered access with unlimited screen time, arguments with the kids to get off ..... etc .... thanks for nothing SKY

[gefnan]

Agreed.

They would not even give a reason.

🤬

[TimmyBGood]

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@gefnan wrote:

They would not even give a reason

Buddy was always a rebadged version of the Circle internet control product (a subscription to which costs considerably more than Broadband Boost does) : it's quite possible that Sky was unable to renew a commercial agreement with Aura, the new owner of Circle.

[TD1969]

Hi All, I have found a top replacement method for the lack or Sky Buddy

I was lucky that someone near me posyed a TP-Link WiFi for free collection.  Anyway I grabbed it and installed it.  It's really simple and has all the key app features as Sky Buddy had (filtering by age, time off limits etc). Super simple to use.

Here are the details-

Product is a TP-LINK DECO AC2200 (reset button)

Step 1. Connect to Sky Router with ethernet cable and plug power supply into the wall

Step 2  Download TP-Link Deco App for free, then open the app, it will search for the router, and once found will connect and ask several questions, such as email, name you want to call the WiFi, just follow the prompts. EASY.

Step 3. Get the kids to connect to this WiFi and as they connect you can assign their devices under their name.  Keep doing this for all kids or like me I set up different names to set different times and age restrictions. So similar to Sky Buddy you should not get it wrong.

That's it.. hope this post helps others and can restore balance in the home post Sky Buddy removal.