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 "equip people with tools that provide protection and encourage accountability and trust in the fight against Internet temptation" which is "largely the fight against online pornography"[2].
Accountability software typically functions by checking for explicit keywords associated with the behavior the software is intended to detect. More recently, some services have added the ability of continuously making screenshots of the user's mobile phone or computer screen and monitoring their internet traffic[3]. If inappropriate 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).
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,[5] which made roughly US $4 million in 2008, from around 56,000 subscriptions.[6]
Following a Wired report in 2022, Google removed Covenant Eyes and Accountable2You from the Google Play store because these apps used accessibility functions for surveillance purposes in a manner that violated Google's policies.[3] The article also exposed how GracePoint church used the software to report users' Internet activity to authority figures, such as a parent, teacher, or religious leader. 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.[3]
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
- ^ Michigan Firm Aims to Fight Temptation Online at USA Today
- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ Talley, Scott. "Accountability company's mission is unique. So is its employee-friendly nature". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
- ^ "Submission - Covenant Eyes, Inc.; Ronald DeHaas (CEO), author Filter Plus Accountability Software" (PDF). submission to law.harvard.edu.