Accountability software
Accountability software is a type of software that records the user's Internet activity and reports it to an accountability partner.[1] The purpose of such software is to "serve those who want to stop looking at porn"[2].
Accountability software typically functions by checking for keywords (such as explicit sexual language) associated with the behavior the software is intended to detect. Some tools have added the practice of continuously making screenshots of the user's mobile phone or computer screen to monitor their internet traffic. If such content is found, the software generates a report that is transmitted to the accountability partner, who may then confront the user about their activity. The software may also double as content-control software.
As of 2022, a "multimillion-dollar ecosystem"[3] of accountability software products exists, marketed to parents and churches. The largest users of accountability software are religious groups and families.[4] Products in this field include Fortify, Accountable2You, EverAccountable and Covenant Eyes (the largest); there are also free options, including Net Responsibility (for Mac OS and Linux) and the free version of X3watch (for Windows and Mac OS). Dan Armstrong, Covenant Eyes' corporate communications specialist, said in 2021 "As of this year, we’ve been able to help more than 1.5 million people who want to stop looking at pornography".[2]
Most of these products implement a "zero-tolerance" approach to pornography, and some are marketed as a way to combat pornography addiction, as in the case of Covenant Eyes[2], which made roughly US $4 million in 2008, from around 56,000 subscriptions.[5] Following a Wired report in 2022, Google removed Covenant Eyes and Accountable2You from the Google Play store because these apps used the accessibility function in a manner that "violate[d] its policies".[3]
Abuse of Accountability Software
A recent article in Wired exposed abuse of accountability software in which the intent was to change the user's behavior by exposing them to shame and possibly other consequences for Internet activity that an authority figure deemed inappropriate, such as viewing pornography.[6] A former member of the church (Gracepoint) said, "It's more like 'shameware' and it's just another way the church controls you".
Covenant Eyes spokesperson Dan Armstrong said "accountability relationships are better off between people who already know each other and want the best for one another, such as close personal friends and family members,” and that the company discourages using its app in relationships with a power imbalance. [6]
See also
- Content-control software
- Employee monitoring
- Employee monitoring software
- Comparison of content-control software and providers (incl. parental control software)
- Opposition to pornography
- Parental controls
- Pornography addiction
- Sexaholics Anonymous
References
- ^ Church Counsels Women Addicted to Pornography at nytimes.com
- ^ a b c Talley, Scott. "Accountability company's mission is unique. So is its employee-friendly nature". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ a b Mehrotra, Dhruv. "The Ungodly Surveillance of Anti-Porn 'Shameware' Apps". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ Behun, Richard Joseph; Sweeney, Valerie; Delmonico, David L.; Griffin, Elizabeth J. (2012). "Filtering and Monitoring Internet Content: A Primer for Helping Professionals". Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity. 19 (1–2): 140–155. doi:10.1080/10720162.2012.666425. ISSN 1072-0162.
These tools are especially popular with religious groups and families.
- ^ "Submission - Covenant Eyes, Inc.; Ronald DeHaas (CEO), author Filter Plus Accountability Software" (PDF). submission to law.harvard.edu.
- ^ a b Mehrotra, Dhruv. "The Ungodly Surveillance of Anti-Porn 'Shameware' Apps". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 22 September 2022.