Wireless Support

Usage Controls is an easy to use service that puts you in control of your child’s cell phone usage. Usage Controls enables you to:

• Set allowances for voice and messaging usage.
• Designate specific times during the day when your child is not permitted to use certain services on their cell phone.
• Create lists of phone numbers that are not permitted to call or message your child.
• Customize the settings for each line on your account.
• Set filters to restrict access to content such as VCAST Music on your child’s device.

Usage Controls provides you with peace of mind that your child is responsibly using his/her cell phone and reduces the risk of unexpected charges on your wireless account. Please see additional information on various types of blocks available.

Features Include:

Usage Controls $4.99 per line	Content Filtering  - Manage appropriate content levels on a wireless handset. (Feature is available at no charge.)
	Usage Allowance Voice - Text alert is sent before and when the threshold is reached. Voice usage is not blocked thereafter. Text - Text alert is sent before and when the threshold is reached. Text usage is blocked at the threshold.
	Time Restrictions - You can set periods of time during the day (for example school hours) or night when your child is not allowed to place/received messages or download content.
	Blocked Numbers - You can specify phone numbers that will not be able to contact your child. And, your child will also be prevented from calling or sending messages to these same numbers.
	Trusted Numbers - Designate phone numbers on your wireless account that can always reach your child; regardless of other Parental Control restrictions (such as Time Restrictions) you set. Trusted Numbers is another way to help you manage your child’s wireless service.

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You can set an allowance for the number of billable voice minutes your child uses. When your child reaches the allowance, a free text message will be sent to your child’s cell phone and to your cell phone indicating that the allowance was reached.

Note: Your child will still be able to use their cell phone to make or receive voice calls after the allowance is reached and you will be billed for all minutes used in accordance with your plan.

You cannot set an allowance for Unlimited National Mobile to Mobile Calling (Verizon Wireless phone to Verizon Wireless phone) minutes or Unlimited Night & Weekend minutes.

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Yes, Usage Controls enables you to designate up to 20 phone numbers that will not be able to call or send text, picture or video messages to you. In addition, you will not be able to call or send text, picture or video messages to these blocked numbers. You cannot block numbers that are within your account nor can you block non-10 digit numbers such as 911, 411 or #MIN (to check minutes used).

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Yes, you can set up to 10 restricted time periods for each child on Usage Controls. It will restrict the user from sending or receiving messages (including Mobile IM), downloading content such as ringtones or games or using applications including Chaperone and Backup Assistant. Note: Text messages sent designated Trusted Numbers and the child’s phone will be accepted even during time restrictions.

Voice calls are not stopped during time restricted periods (numbers on the Block Number list are always restricted from calling or being called by the child). You cannot set an allowance for or restrict premium messages (messages that a user pays an additional charge to receive, such as sports alerts or other content like wallpaper or ringtones).

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By using Parental Controls, account owners can safely allow their children to access content available through their Verizon Wireless handsets, including content accessible through Mobile Web 2.0, short code-based messaging campaigns, V CAST Music and V CAST Video, with confidence that the content will be age-appropriate. This service is provided to account owners at no additional charge and allows account owners to establish an access setting for each line on their account. There are four age-appropriate filtering settings available to customize the type of content each line can access.

Learn more about Internet, TV and Wireless parental controls.

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Verizon Wireless offers you the ability to filter out unwanted content using Parental Controls.

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Verizon Wireless understands that you may desire to limit access to certain content because of the particular ages of f your children or your personal desire to avoid certain content. Only Verizon Wireless offers age-appropriate content filters, which are free of charge and easy to change as your child matures:

• C 7+: content recommended for children aged 7 and older.
• T 13+: content recommended for teens aged 13 and older
• YA 17+: content recommended for young adults aged 17 and older

 

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• Nationwide Plan subscribers (not prepaid): Log into My Verizon to establish your settings.
• Business accounts: Call Business Customer Care or your account representative.

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Currently, the following content can be filtered: 

• "Explicit" labeled music on V CAST Music
• Content on V CAST Video
• Websites accessible via wireless devices
• Short code-based messaging campaigns (4 to 6 digit phone numbers that subscribers use to obtain content or participate in various programs. Standard messaging rates apply to short codes. Premium charges may apply for certain short codes.)

Content from other sources, including Get It Now, is not consistently filtered by the service at this time. The service does not filter calls or messages sent by customers to other customers (this includes any content created by customers and sent directly by them to other customers) or content previously available on phones before the service was enabled.

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Messaging short codes are special short phone numbers, usually 4 to 6 digits, that subscribers can send text messages in order to get content or participate in various programs. Standard messaging rates apply to short codes. Premium charges may apply for certain short codes.

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Yes, as the primary account owner, you can turn on Parental Controls for each line on your account by calling Customer Care.

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Primary account holders on postpaid plans can turn on the Content Filtering service for each line on their account by following these easy steps:

1. Go to My Verizon.
2. Sign in using your user name and password. 
3. Click on My Services tab.
4. Choose the Verizon Safeguards menu selection.
5. Click the Parental Controls tab.
6. Click the Content Filters tab. You will see the phone numbers in your account.
7. Click the Edit Filters button.
8. Select the Content Filters setting for each line.
9. Read and Accept the Terms & Conditions and click Submit.

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You can use either Internet Spam Controls or Call & Message Blocking available through Spam Controls (My Verizon> My Services> Verizon Safeguards> Spam Controls).

If the message is originating from an email address or web domain, visit Internet Spam Controls and enter the email or domain to be blocked. Internet Spam Controls allow you to designate and block up to 15 email addresses, vtext IDs and/or Internet Domains from sending text, picture or video messages to you.

If the message is originating from a phone number, visit Call & Message Blocking and enter the phone number of the individual who you wish to block. Call & Message Blocking allows you to designate and block up to 5 phone numbers from sending text, picture or video messages to you.

You cannot block numbers that are within your account nor can you block non-10 digit numbers such as 911, 411 or #MIN (to check minutes used).

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To enable Spam Controls and block certain phone numbers and Internet addresses from contacting you, follow these steps:

• Log into My Verizon.
• Select My Services.
• Choose Verizon Safeguards.
• Select Spam Controls.

 

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Visit Call & Message Blocking and enter a phone number you wish to block. You will no longer receive calls or messages from this phone number.

Call & Message Blocking enables you to designate and block up to 5 phone numbers from calling you. You cannot block numbers that are within your account nor can you block non-10 digit numbers such as 911, 411 or #MIN (to check minutes used).

Note: You will have to subscribe to Usage Controls in order to prevent your child from calling a blocked number.

 

	Usage Controls	Call & Message Blocking
Block Inbound Calls from Blocked Number	Yes	Yes
Block Outbound Calls to Blocked Number	Yes	No
Expiry of Blocks	No Expiration	90 days after service began
Number of Blocks	20	5

 

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Yes, blocking will expire 90 days from the date of your first block. You can reestablish blocking by adding blocking preferences after they expire.

You can only block up to five phone numbers at one time. Also, blocks will expire 90 days from the date you set your first blocked number. You can reestablish Call & Message Blocking, by visiting My Verizon after the previous blocks expire.

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Verizon Wireless supported the passage of federal legislation aimed at providing consumers with control over receipt of unsolicited electronic messages, or 'spam'. We employ tools in our network to detect incidences of 'spam' sent to our customers' wireless devices, and we also provide customers with tools to manage and even restrict receipt of such messages.

Verizon Wireless has also been aggressive battling spam in Court. Over the past two years, Verizon Wireless has filed lawsuits against several companies it has accused of sending text message spam to its customers.

Companies and individuals who send unsolicited text messages to wireless phones violate the Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act by using "auto-dialing" equipment to send large bursts of text messages to sequential phone numbers within very short periods of time. These spammers also often use deceptive means to hide the identity of who is sending the spam and to avoid filters that Verizon Wireless and other mobile operators use to prevent spam from reaching their customers.

Text messaging is a great and increasingly popular way to communicate, but unwanted or unsolicited text message spam to our customers' handsets is unacceptable. Verizon Wireless has a long track record of protecting our customers' privacy, including through lawsuits, and will continue to do so. Verizon Wireless remains committed to defending the strong wall of customer privacy we’ve built over the years through its network practices and its industry leading pro-consumer policies.

For those messages which do get through, Verizon Wireless provides Internet Spam Blocking to enable customers to block spam from reaching their device.

Internet Spam Block
Customers are able to block certain text messages by logging on to My Verizon, going to “My Services”, choosing “Verizon Safeguards” from the drop-down menu, and selecting the “Spam Controls” Tab. Options include blocking all messages sent from the Web, or designating certain addresses from which you don’t want to receive text messages.

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