What legitimate reason is there for stuff like that? Workspaces should not be enforcing policies like that - trust your workers - and parental nonsense shouldn't be a goal of an ethical business.
Either way, ultimately the result of not offering the option will more likely be getting blocked entirely, than workers being freed from the shackles of SafeSearch.
Also blocking the search is pretty weird, what prevents me of typing the URL directly?
Not if the machine is locked down. Blocking all search engines is not a feasible approach, though, hence the Safe Search mechanism.
> Also blocking the search is pretty weird, what prevents me of typing the URL directly?
That URL can be blocked at the router level, but one can still see cached search engine images when safe search is off.
It's not just porn, it could be a way to prevent successful phishing through employees filling out a malicious form or whatever.
"Trust your workers" is bad infosec.
But blocking alternative search engines and AI engines goes a bit far IMO especially if they dont use training. Especially if you're just afraid they will see a nipple on a search engine. That's ridiculous.
Some companies just know their workers, i.e. if you have a bigger company you will have some idiots. We heard things like "you shouldn't be paying an escort with your company credit card" and the reason was because it was done, multiple times.