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Brightfilter can block websites in the following categories:

Alcohol

A Web site that has a significant focus on selling, promoting, or advocating the use of alcohol.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Anonymizers

Web sites that purposefully allow users to browse the Web by hiding their IP address, or other personal identification information, in order to bypass local filtering policies and access any Web page.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Anonymizing Utilities

Web sites that result in anonymous Web browsing without an explicit intent to provide such a service. This category includes URL translators, Web page caching, or other utilities that may function as anonymizers, but without the express purpose of bypassing filtering software.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Art / Culture / Heritage

Web sites that contain virtual art galleries, artist sites (including sculpture and photography), museums, ethnic customs, and country customs. Online photo albums are not included in this category.


Auctions / Classifieds

Web Sites providing online bidding and selling of items or services. Web sites in this category focus on bidding and sales; therefore they do not cover classified ads such as property postings, personals, or companies marketing their auctions.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12


Blogs / Wiki

Web sites containing dynamic content which allows users to post or edit content quickly and spontaneously. This category is designed to cover the risks associated with frequently changing content that may range from harmless to offensive.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG


Business

Web sites that provide business related information, such as corporate overviews or business planning and strategies. Also included is information, services, or products that help other businesses plan, manage, and market their enterprises. Personal pages and Web hosting Web sites are not included.


Chat

Web sites that provide Web based, real-time social messaging in public and private chat rooms. Internet Relay Chat (IRC) is included in this category. While instant messaging has some of the same risks, it includes additional risks and is not web based.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U


Content Server

Web sites for servers that host images, media files, or JavaScript for one or more sites and are intended to speed up content retrieval for existing Web servers, such as Apache. Content servers generally do not have content posted or through-site navigation for Web surfers.


Criminal Activities

Web sites that provide instructions to commit illegal or criminal activities such as instructions to commit murder or suicide, sabotage, bomb-making, lock-picking, service theft, evading law enforcement, or spoofing drug tests. Information on how to distribute illegal content, perpetrate fraud, or consumer scams may be also included. Computer-related fraud is not included in this category.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Dating / Social Networking

This category includes Web sites that focus on social interaction such as online dating, friendship, school reunions, pen-pals, escort services, or introductions to potential spouses. Many of these sites facilitate social interaction among their members through real-time message posting. This category does not include wedding-related content, dating tips, or related marketing.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12


Digital Postcards

Web sites that allow people to send and receive digital postcards and greeting cards via the Internet. Digital postcards feature messages of greeting or sentiment usually for special occasions such as birthdays or other holidays.


Drugs

Sites in this category provide information on the purchase, manufacture, and use of illegal or recreational drugs. This includes displaying, selling, or detailing the use of drug paraphernalia, as well as tips on legal highs, such as glue sniffing, the misuse of prescription drugs, or the abuse of other legal substances. This category is not used for sites with exclusive health or political themes.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Education / Reference

Web pages devoted to academic-related content such as academic subjects (maths, history), school or university Web sites, as well as education administration pages (school boards, teacher curriculum). Text translation and language identifier sites are included in this category.


Extreme

Web sites providing content considered gory, perverse, or horrific in nature. This category also contains sites deemed illegal by the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) and various countries Criminal Justice Bills - UK, USA, Germany etc
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15 18


Finance / Banking

Web sites that provide financial information or access to online financial accounts, such as personal or business related banking, money management, tax consulting, mutual funds, credit cards, credit unions, insurance, or other financial publications and services. This category includes stock information (but not stock trading), home finance, and government related financial information. Also included are Web sites that provide financial information, news, or services that deal with the management of money, but do not provide access to sensitive financial account information, such as financial statistics, or consultation in areas such as taxes, mortgage, insurance, accreditation, or investment.


For Kids

Family-safe Web sites that are designed specifically for children (approximate ages ten and under).


Forum / Bulletin Boards

Web sites that hold discussions and post user generated content, such as real-time message posting for a particular interest group. This excludes message forums with a business or technical support focus.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG


Gambling

Web sites that allow users to wager or place bets online or provide gambling software that allows online betting; for example, casino games, betting pools, sports betting, and lotteries. This category includes lotteries if you can buy the tickets or play online. Web sites related to gambling that do not allow betting online are not included.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Gambling Related

Web sites that offer information relevant to gambling, without providing the means to do so. Examples include gambling links, tips, sports picks, lottery results, as well as horse, car, or boat racing. Casino-related Web sites will fall under this site if they do not offer online gambling.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Game / Cartoon Violence

Web sites providing fantasy or fictitious representations of violence within the context of games, comics, cartoons, or graphic novels. This includes images and textual descriptions of physical assaults or hand-to-hand combat, as well as grave injury and destruction caused by weapons or explosives.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12


Games

Web sites that offer online games and related information such as cheats, codes, demos, emulators, online contests or role-playing games, gaming clans, game manufacturer sites, fantasy or virtual sports leagues, and other gaming sites without chances of profit. Gaming consoles, such as XBox and PlayStation, are included in this category.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U


Government / Military

Web sites with content maintained by governmental or military organizations such as government branches or agencies, police departments, fire departments, civil defense, counterterrorism organizations, or supranational organizations such as the United Nations or the European Union.


Gruesome Content

Web sites with content that can be considered tasteless, gross, shocking, or gruesome. Some examples include tasteless humour, bodily excretory functions, graphic medical or accident scene photos (containing blood or wounds), extreme forms of body modification (cutting, branding, or genital piercing), or shocking depictions of inhumane animal treatment. This category does not contain Web sites with content pertaining to physical assault.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Hacking/Computer Crime

Web sites that provide "how-to" directions or otherwise enable fraud, crime, or malicious activity that is computer oriented. Computer Crime includes malicious hacking information or tools that help individuals gain unauthorized access to computers and networks (root kits, kiddy scripts). Also included are other areas of electronic fraud such as dialer scams and illegal manipulation of electronic devices. Illegal software does not fall under this category.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Hate / Discrimination

Web sites that provide information that would encourage the oppression of a specific group of individuals. This includes promoting, explicitly or implicitly, an agenda against groups based on race, religion, nationality, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation. Political parties with a specific hate-based agenda may be included. If involving jokes or humor, the focus of the entire site must be considered hateful or discriminatory to fall under this category.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Health

This category is intended to cover all health related information and health care services. Health information includes topics designed to improve an individual's well-being, whether it be physical or mental health (diet, nutrition, fitness, or parenting). Health care services include health care providers such as health insurance, hospitals, clinics, and independent physicians. This category does not include cosmetic surgery, marketing/selling pharmaceuticals, or animal related medical services.


Historical Revisionism

Content that denounces or offers different interpretations of significant historical facts, such as holocaust denial. Some sites in this category may have a legitimate academic value, however many of these sites include illegitimate manipulation of history for political purposes. This category is not intended to include all reexamination of historical facts, but is limited to historical events that are highly sensitive.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG


History

Web sites providing content about historical facts. This category is designed for content suitable for higher education, while the Education category is designed for primary education. For example, a site with Holocaust photos may be offensive, yet have academic value.


Illegal Software

Web sites that offer information to pirate or illegally distribute software or electronic media such as copyrighted music or film, distribution of illegal license key generators, software cracks, and serial numbers. Peer-to-Peer Web sites are not included in this category.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Incidental Nudity

Web sites that contain non-pornographic images of the bare human body like those found in classic sculpture and paintings, or medical images. This category is designed to address cultural or geographic differences in opinion about nudity.
Category blocked by default in: U PG 12


Information Security

Web sites that have a legitimate purpose to provide information about data protection. This applies to detailed information intended to safeguard business or personal data, intellectual property, privacy, and infrastructure on the Internet, private networks, or in other bandwidth services such as telecommunications. The following are not included: Legitimate information security companies and security software providers, such as virus protection companies. Sites that have an express purpose in exploiting security or teaching how to bypass security.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12


Instant Messaging

Web sites that provide software for real-time communication over a network exclusively for users who have been invited to join a member’s contact list or an instant messaging session. Most instant messaging software includes featrues such as file transfer, PC-to-PC phone calls, and tracking of when other people log on and off.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U


Interactive Web Applications

Web sites that provide access to live or interactive Web applications, such as browser-based office suites and groupware. Sites categorized as Interactive Web Applications include those with business, academic, or individual focus. Text translation and language identifier sites are included in this category. Sites providing access to interactive Web applications that do not take critical user data or offer security risks are excluded, such as Google Maps.


Internet Services

Web sites that provide services for publication and maintenance of Internet sites such as Web design, domain registration, Internet Service Providers, and broadband and telecommunications companies that provide Web services. Web utilities such as statistics and access logs are included, as well as Web graphics like clip art.


Malicious Sites

Web sites that deploy code designed specifically to hijack your computer’s settings or activity. Some examples include self-installing applications (called "drive-by" executable file downloads), Trojans, and viruses that exploit security vulnerabilities in browsers or other applications. It is possible for a Web site to lose its malicious status and be recategorized. This category is differentiated from the Spyware/Adware category by its intent. Spyware/Adware is intended to covertly gather and send information to another party; malicious sites intend to take action on another computer to cause damage.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15 18


Media Download

Web sites that provide audio or video files for download such as MP3, WAV, AVI, and MPEG formats. The files are saved to and played from the user’s computer. Audio or video files that are played directly through a browser window are not included in this category.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA


Messaging

Web sites that provide streaming messaging services such as computer to mobile phone textmessaging via SMS (Short Message Service) or MMS (Multimedia Message Service) or computer to fax machine messaging.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG


Mobile Phone

Web sites that provide buyable media, software, or utilities for mobile phones that can be downloaded and delivered to mobile phones. Examples include ringtones, logos/skins, games, screen-savers, text-based tunes, and software for SMS (Short Message Service), MMS (Multimedia Message Service), WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), and other mobile phone protocols.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG


Moderated

Bulletin boards, chat rooms, search engines, or Web mail sites that are monitored by an individual or group who has the authority to block messages or content considered inappropriate. Sites with posted rules against offensive content do not fall under the Moderated category.


Non-Profit / Advocacy / NGO

Web sites for groups designed for charitable or educational purposes that fulfill a stated mission, benefiting the larger community, such as clubs, lobbies, communities, non-profit organizations, labor unions, and advocacy groups. Examples are Boy and Girl Scouts and Organizations with governmental endorsements, but not government run, will fall under this category.


Nudity

Web sites that have non-pornographic images of the bare human body. Classic sculpture and paintings, artistic nude photographs, some naturism pictures, and detailed medical illustrations are included in the Nudity category. High-profile sites where nudity is not a concern for visitors do not fall under this category.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG


P2P / File Sharing

Web sites that allow the exchange of files between computers and users for business or personal use, such as downloadable music. P2P clients allow users to search for and exchange files from a peer-user network. They often include spyware or real-time chat capabilities. BitTorrent Web sites are included under this category.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12


Personal Network Storage

Web sites that allow users to upload folders and files to an online network server in order to backup, share, edit, or retrieve files or folders from any Web browser.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA


Personal Pages

Personal home pages that share a common domain such as those hosted by ISPs, university/ education servers, or free Web page hosts. Also included are unique domains that contain personal information, such as a personal home page. Home pages of public figures are not rated as Personal Pages, they will fall under their related category such as Entertainment or Sports. However, these pages are not highly trafficked making them difficult to categorize and provide coverage for each personal page.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG


Phishing

Links to Web sites that typically arrive in hoax e-mails established to steal user account information. These sites falsely represent themselves and appear as legitimate company Web sites in order to deceive and obtain user account information that can be used to perpetrate fraud or theft.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15 18


Pornography

Web sites that contain materials intended to be sexually arousing or erotic. This includes fetish pages, animation, cartoons, stories, and extreme pornography.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Portal Sites

Web sites designed as a starting point that serve as major gateways or directories to content on the Web. Many portal sites also provide a variety of internal site features or services such as search engines, e-mail, news, and entertainment. Mailing list sites with a variety of content are covered under the Portal Sites category. Topic-specific content is not included under this category. It will be covered under the appropriate category, such as Entertainment.


Profanity

Web sites that contain crude, vulgar, or obscene language or gestures.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12


Provocative Attire

Web sites with pictures that include alluring or revealing attire, lingerie and swimsuits, or supermodel or celebrity photo collections, but do not involve nudity. Sites with swimwear or other such attire that is not intended to be provocative will not fall under this category. For example, Olympic swimming sites will not be categorized as Provocative Attire.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12


Public Information

Web sites that provide general reference information such as public service providers, regional information, transportation schedules, maps, or weather reports.


Remote Access

This category includes Web sites that provide remote access to a program, online service, or an entire computer system. While often used legitimately by people who want to use their computer from a remote location, it creates a potential security risk such as backdoor access. Backdoor access, written by the original programmer, provides an opening through which the system can be controlled without the user's knowledge.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U


Resource Sharing

Web sites used to harness idle or unused computer resources to focus on a common task. This can be on a company or an international basis. Well-known examples are the SETI program and the Human Genome Project, which use the downtime of thousands of volunteered computers to analyze data.
Category blocked by default in: U


School Cheating Information

Web sites that promote plagiarism or cheating by providing free or fee-based exam papers, written essays, or exam answers. Not included are sites that offer student help, discuss literature, films, or books, or other content that is often the subject of research papers.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Search Engines

Web sites that provide search results that enable users to find information on the Internet based upon key words. Site-specific search features are not categorized as Search Engines since the search results will be site-specific.


Sexual Materials

Web sites that have descriptions or depictions of sexual acts, but are not intended to be arousing or erotic. Examples of sexual materials include sex education, sexual innuendo, humour, or sex related merchandise. This category does not include Web sites with content intended to arouse.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG


Shareware / Freeware

Web sites that are repositories of downloadable copies of shareware and freeware. Shareware is distributed on an honour system by which the shareware is delivered free of charge, but the author requests that you pay a small fee if you like the program and use it regularly. Freeware is software that is available without any cost. Subscription-based software is not included.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA


Software / Hardware

This category is intended to cover all computing software and hardware related Web sites including vendors, product marketing and reviews, deployment and maintenance of software and hardware, as well as software updates and add-ons such as scripts, plugins, or drivers. Hardware includes computer parts, accessories, and electronic equipment used in conjunction with computers and networks. This category covers the marketing aspect of software and hardware. Magazines focused on software or hardware product reviews or industry trends are included under this category.


Spam URLs

Links to Web sites that arrive in unsolicited spam e-mails. Spam URL content ranges from product marketing to potentially offensive or fraudulent sites. Also included are sites built only for spamming purposes such as spam blogs or comment spam. Links to Web sites that typically arrive in hoax e-mails established to steal user account information are not included.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Spyware / Adware

Web sites that download or execute software intended to gather user information and send it to a third party without the user’s explicit knowledge or consent. Web sites that download Potentially Unwanted Programs (PUPs) are included. This category is differentiated from the Malicious Sites category by its intent. Spyware/Adware is intended to covertly gather and send information to another party. The intent of a malicious site is to install or take an action without user approval or knowledge.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15 18


Streaming Media

Web sites that provide streaming media, or contain software plugins, that allow the displaying of audio and visual data before the entire file has been transmitted. Audio or video files that are downloaded to a user’s computer before being played are not included in this category.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U


Technical / Business Forums

Web sites with a technical or business focus that provide online message posting or real-time chatting, such as technical support or interactive business communication. While users may post any type of content, technical and business oriented forums tend to present less risk of containing offensive content. Sites that offer a variety of forums with themes, including technical and business content, may be categorized as Message Boards or Chat. Only forums with a primary technical or business focus will fall under this category.


Technical Information

Web sites that provide computing information with an educational focus in areas such as Information Technology, computer programming, and certification. Examples include Linux user groups, UNIX commands, software tutorials, or technical terminology dictionaries. Content pertaining to Information Security is excluded. Most sites in this category may be subdirectories of larger domains. For example, a software site with a tutorial page will be categorized as Technical Information only at the tutorial page URL.


Text / Spoken Only

This category applies to content that is text or audio only, it does not contain pictures. Libraries or universities, in particular, may wish to utilize this category since it focuses Web filtering on offensive graphics that may be displayed in their public facilities.
Category blocked by default in: U


Tobacco

Web sites that sell, promote, or advocate the use of tobacco products, tobacco paraphernalia, including cigarettes, cigars, and pipe, chewing, and snuff tobacco.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA


Usenet Newsgroups

Web sites that provide access (http://) to usenet newsgroups and archives of files uploaded to newsgroups. Also included are online groups that offer similar community-oriented content posting. These pages are not highly trafficked, making them difficult to categorize and provide coverage for each group page.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12


Violence

Web sites that contain real or lifelike images or text that portray, describe, or advocate physical assaults against humans, animals, or institutions (for example, depictions of war, suicide, mutilation, or dismemberment).
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Visual Search Engine

Web sites that provide image-specific search results such as thumbnail pictures. Sites that offer site-specific visual search engines are not included.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U


Weapons

Web sites that provide information about buying, making, modifying, or using weapons, such as guns, knives, swords, paintball guns, as well as ammunition, explosives, and weapon accessories. Weapons pages may highlight personal or military use. Sites containing information about homemade weapons are included. Non-lethal weapon content is included, such as mace, pepper spray, or taser guns. This category covers sites for weapons facilities, such as shooting ranges. Government or military oriented weapons are included. Political action groups, such as the NRA, are not included.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA U PG 12 15


Web Ads

Web sites that provide ad-hosting or programs that create advertisements. Examples include links, source code or applets for banners, pop-ups, and other kinds of static or dynamically generated ads that appear on Web pages. This category is intended to block advertisements on Web sites, not the companies that provide the ads or advertising services. Aggressive advertising adware is covered under the Spyware/Adware category.
Category blocked by default in: U


Web Phone

Web sites that enable users to make telephone calls via the Internet or obtain information or software for this purpose. Web Phone service is also called Internet Telephony, or Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Web phone service includes PC-to-PC, PC-to-phone, and phone-to-phone services connecting via TCP/IP networks.
Category blocked by default in: BECTA

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