Edinburgh City Council has said it “cannot guarantee the safety” of iPads provided by schools as part of an investigation into children viewing inappropriate content.

iPads issued by the council are supposed to have a filtering agent that protects children from explicit content.

However, some search engines on devices allowed you to disable the “safe search” feature.

A video shared online by a parent showed graphic images could be viewed by turning off the safe search feature, according to reports.

It comes after computers at Edinburgh City Libraries were knocked offline after an IT outage in October prevented filters designed to block inappropriate websites from being activated.

The council’s head of education, children and families, Joan Griffiths, said steps were being taken to ensure children could only use one search engine on devices.

An “urgent review” of the solution will take place to ensure the problem is resolved, the council said.

Access to Wikipedia was also temporarily suspended over concerns that the online encyclopedia could allow children to access inappropriate material.

In an email sent to parents from Edinburgh City Council and seen by STV News, it confirms that steps have been taken to ensure that no inappropriate content can be broadcast, but that “no technical solution will ever be able to guarantee total security.

The email said keeping children safe online was “central” to providing digital learning in the city’s schools.

“Filtering and blocking inappropriate content is always a priority, but this must be balanced against the need to enable teaching and learning as well as children’s right to access information,” continues the e-mail.

“This can be a difficult balance to achieve, no technical solution can ever guarantee complete security and as such we must also educate our learners on the appropriate behaviors required to enable safe use of the internet.

“We have received information about specific content accessible on Empowered Learning iPads. We have taken immediate action to ensure this content is not accessible and will investigate this matter further.

“An urgent review of the solution will take place to ensure this issue is resolved. We are continually monitoring the situation to ensure the safety of our children and young people online.

“We will take further action if deemed appropriate. In the future, we intend to meet with parents and carers so that we can work collaboratively with them to shape and inform digital solutions within schools.

Councilor Griffiths said students have filtered access to the internet whether they are using the iPad in the school environment, at home or while visiting another venue.

“Our filtering restrictions use Safe Search as a feature, but we have been made aware that some search engines allow Safe Search to be turned on and off,” she said.

“To ensure the safety of our learners, we have reduced and limited access to a single search engine, allowing for greater control and enhanced security.

“So far, Wikipedia has been well used as an educational resource. However, the site offers a wide range of topics, some of which may not be suitable for all age groups. We have currently suspended access to Wikipedia while we undertake a further in-depth review.

Follow STV News on WhatsApp

Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from across the country