This needs to be a bigger discussion now that we have User Reviews and Discussions that are accessible to kids.
The problem is that children still need to run full Plex accounts to access remote Plex servers. I’m hosting restricted content on my server for my friends who have kids. I have my friends setting up separate children (full Plex) accounts that their kids use to access my PMS. I then restrict content specific to those children accounts as requested by their parents. I’ve even sold the idea that families buy Plex Passes to setup Plex Homes on their remote devices.
However, and understandably, Plex, inc. is adding the ability to turn off and on features such as User Reviews and Discussions within most Plex clients, not just Plex web, which is how Discover opt-in and out has only been accessible been for quite some time now. If the parents don’t give their kids the account login, and the kids can’t turn on Discover. But, as those toggles become available in clients that kids are using (under settings), then the kids will eventually find them and turn them on.
What there needs to be is at least a Parental PIN assigned to specific toggles such as these. This should stop kids from turning on these features without their parents’ permission.
Sounds like parents want Plex to do the parenting job…
Not to be pedantic here but you realize those kids can browse to imdb, criticker, letterboxd, trakt, simkl, youtube, etc to read “reviews”?
Plex was designed to be for you to be able to stream your owned content to yourself locally and remotely. It has grown in several ways.
Firstly it has become a method people can now watch media not owned by themselves. No different than the countless services that offer that ability.
And it has become a method for people to “share” their content with “friends” all over the place. Controlling who has access to what Plex provides is in my old-fashioned non-nanny state opinion, a “you” problem and a “parent” problem, not a Plex problem. If parents want to allow their kids to access your server, then it is up to them (and you) to control how and what they can see.
Plex has already been helping greatly in providing tools to help parents do their jobs:
Restrictions via labels, ratings, common sense media
Toggle Discover
Turn off Reviews
Your attitude is that nothing should be censored and parents should have to make do swimming through the filth. So, I assume you are against all things that restrict kids from anything, “It’s up to the parents!”
That is exactly what I’m asking. Glad you agree. Right now we can’t control what our kids have access to because the kids can gain access to things that weren’t there originally nor do we have any way to control access. Thanks for making my point!
I must be missing something, but what is the obstacle for them to create managed accounts? Surely those managed accounts under Plex’ current setup don’t allow people random access to “settings”? Does it? Surely they can set up an account, edit the settings to exclude the comments and recommendations, then set the account to teen, or whatever the various setting options are?
Managed Accounts cannot access server invites. All my users access my server only and their kids are required to have full accounts so I can offer restricted content to those accounts.
Most of my users don’t have the expertise nor the time to run their own servers. I’m happy to offer that service to them.
Yeah that’s a good point. From a terms of service standpoint, full accounts are 18+ (since creating an account technically establishes a contract, and minors can’t do that (at least not here in the US)
Also interestingly enough, you can create an account with any old email address (even a completely invalid one) - it doesn’t seem to do any sort of validation whatsoever. No sending of a verification email that it prompted for, etc.
I’m not sure of your point in this context, but I just tested this. I created a new Plex account with a valid e-mail address. After doing so, I received a “Welcome to Plex” (Let’s Make it Official) e-mail from Plex. It asked me to verify the address, which I did (and which logged me into watch.plex.tv).
That e-mail also explained that certain features were dependent upon this verification. So, while it may be true that you can provide an invalid e-mail, you’ll be a bit disadvantaged if you do. And there’s no age verification inherently provided by e-mail anyway.
My point was that Plex asks users to agree to a ToS which attests that they are 18+. If some server admins are asking minors to create accounts which violate this, that’s on them, not Plex.
My point was more that Plex really needs to work on their user management - I created a new account with a completely fake email address. Nowhere on the watch.plex.tv website is there an option to change to a correct address.
It wasn’t until I clicked on My Media, then Open App that took me over to app.plex.tv that I could see where I could change my address. I also noticed that it allowed me to send an email digest (was prompted when I first hit that page). Not sure if those would start sending to someone else’s email if I used another person’s real address but never validated?
In any case, this seems to be a pretty significant thing to resolve as once you create an account, you have no idea what email was used unless you stumble into My Media (which a lot of users most likely won’t do)
Edited to add: No email validation is required at all to start watching content on watch.plex.tv
Hence my qualification “in this context.” It doesn’t really matter. Whether they provide a valid e-mail or an invalid one, these folks are being told to create full user accounts so they can access remote servers hosted by other admins. And given the level of control they ask over what they see, they’re obviously asking this of minors (or their guardians).
Why would there be? They already attested they were 18+.
You’re not equating e-mail verification with age verification, right?
Let’s please not lose sight of the point of this thread. A server admin wants more control over (or for their parents to have control over) other full Plex accounts. This has nothing to do with an e-mail (other than the potential requirement for account creation).
Good point…I do find it interesting that it appears you can start watching any of their content without logging in at all. Found out Pluto.TV seems to do the same thing though.
Nope, but I wonder if you haven’t verified email if you can still sign up for the social media stuff?
With P:lex wanting to be a social media platform and moving away from a personal media server functionality, it is not about parents wanting Plex to do something but here in Australia being forced to do so by law.
With fines up to $50 million for not adhering to those laws.
If Plex wants to be a social media platform then they need to provide parents with options like parental pins.
Edit - oh and Plex mentioning age limits in TOS is not a get-out-of-jail card.
