Pornography is a global corporate giant. The adult entertainment industry entered the mainstream of capitalism when Playboy magazine hit newsstands in 1953. Today, tens of billions of dollars are generated from the adult industry, and according to the Free Speech Coalition, the fastest growing segment of the adult market in the U.S. is on the Internet. Internet porn is a $3 billion dollar a year business.
There is a rapidly growing segment of the population that is coming to realize the devastating effects that pornography consumption can have on individuals, families and society. This segment isn’t merely made up of the Moral Majority or the Religious Right, but psychologists, marriage therapists, neurobiologists, feminists, politicians, and big business owners.
Is Filtering All There Is?
Various organizations are doing their part to combat the harms that flow from the adult industry’s products: Covenant Eyes is just one of those organizations. Covenant Eyes recognizes that there is an expanding segment of the population that desires self-censorship. Internet filters have their place, especially in protecting families and children, but they often aren’t the best technology for adults. (Even the best filters tend to over-block or not block enough, and at any rate, most adults hold the passwords and overrides to their household filters.) This segment of the population not only understands some of the potentially harmful effects of pornography on an individual, but they also understand the allure of porn. These people desire new tools that can help them stay away from Internet pornography.
Accountability Software
Psychologist Al Cooper believes that the three main factors that draw people into online sexual activity are
(1) Accessibility,
(2) Affordability, and
(3) Anonymity.
He dubbed this the “Triple-A Engine” of Internet porn.
These three factors work like three legs on a stool: remove just one of the legs and the stool will fall (or at least make it awkward to sit on).
Covenant Eyes equips people to take way the ‘A’ of ‘Anonymity’ and replace it with ‘Accountability.’ In other words, Covenant Eyes takes away the secrecy of Internet use by providing a platform by which people give a full and honest account to others about where they go online.
In March of 2000 Covenant Eyes pioneered the concept of “accountability software.” The concept is simple. Download the software to your personal computer. This software will monitor everywhere you go online. It won’t block anything: you can go where you choose to go. The program then assigns a rating to every part of every Web site based on objectionable material. This information is then compiled into easy-to-read reports that are sent to people of the user’s choosing. These people can then become effective accountability partners.
How does this help people?
First, as we’ve already noted, this takes away the anonymity of Internet use. For many the lure of pornography is its secrecy. When you choose to give an account of where you go online—to a trusted friend, counselor, pastor, or spouse—you remove the secrecy, thus, you remove much of the temptation.
Secondly, because the software only monitors without blocking, it preserves your freedom to surf the Web, which helps you build self-control in how you use the Internet.
Thirdly, this is excellent software for porn addiction, giving a great first step for those who need to surround themselves with healthy relationships and others that can help get root of their addiction. Covenant Eyes is a tool used by many pastors and counselors in helping people find freedom from their habitual and compulsive pornography use.
How to Use Covenant Eyes Effectively
In a recent interview, Christian counselor Paul Mavrogeorge talked about how to use the Covenant Eyes program:
“Let’s say Dad has two or three men that he is in accountability with. They get reports on where he goes and what he does on the Internet. In addition he’d get their [reports]. So now when they’re meeting or when they’re in conversation, they can have some conversations about, ‘Where did you go?’ and ‘Why did this happen?’ and ‘What went on?’ It isn’t ‘Oh wow, I gotcha!’ It’s, ‘Hey, let’s talk about this. Did you drift? And if you drifted, let’s talk about it.’”
Covenant Eyes accountability software has very little usefulness outside a community context. The software is a tool to help people who want to bring their Internet use “into the light” and cultivate a healthy, safe, transparent community where others can confess their downfalls and talk openly about the temptations they face.
As one reviewer wrote, Covenant Eyes is about
“creating what will ultimately be a network of like-minded people that include parents, family, trusted friends, mentors, coaches, husbands, wives, pastors, clergy, counselors, and other trusted and concerned individuals who are equally committed to helping each other with the same goal of filtering pornography and other undesirable material.”
For More Information
You can download the Covenant Eyes software at covenanteyes.com
with covenant eyes, if there is more than one account on a computer, does the software send reports from both accounts even though you are only using one of them?
@jabob – No. If you are logged in to Covenant Eyes under one username, all the surfing is recorded under that name, not any other CE user.
With covenant eyes am I limited in the search engines or internet browsers that I can use? For example, can I access the internet using internet explorer or firefox or chrome?
@Lucinda – Covenant Eyes monitors all of those browsers and more.
Hmm, I was recently invited on my blog to post here about confession and accountability and the products thereof.
But I actually want to say this…
When you’re addicted to porn and you’re searching for it, no amount of filtering is going to stop you from getting it. I’m not saying that filters are useless. On the contrary, they are quite useful. It’s just that there is always a way to get around them. I’ve found that if you are searching for porn without regard as to how you get it, filters only postpone the inevitable.
Prevention is the best medicine. Teach your kids to abhor porn and pre marital sexuality and to be disgusted by the very thought of arousing those feelings within themselves. It’s better to prepare and prevent than it is to repair and repent. An ounce of discipline is worth a ton of regret.
Take it from someone who knows from personal experience.
Your Silent Sentinel
Was chatting to a guy today who read this post & took a leaflet about covenant eyes and as a result has now got the filter on to protect him & his kids!
Praise the Lord!
I’m really excited to see CE is coming for Windows Mobile! I have a Windows Mobile smartphone now, but just have all internet access blocked to avoid temptation. Will you guys be sending out an email to existing customers when this software is officially announced/available? Thanks!
David,
CE for the SmartPhone is a project we’ve been working on for a while now. Be looking forward to a blog post from our VP of Technology some time soon to talk about some of our plans for new technology.
Hey Luke,
I love the accountability software! My accountability partner set a time with some brothers and pointed out several of the sites that I struggled with, and it has had the effect of stopping my Internet porn, after struggling with it for over a decade. I would really like to see Covenant Eyes Accountability Software for SmartPhones like the iPhone. I am waiting to purchase the iPhone until CE, or your competitor, comes up with a working accountability system (not a filter, just accountability software…filters don’t work…they’re more of a game). I’d love your comment on this, and the release date for SmartPhone accountability software. Thanks.
Hey Luke, thanks again for writing this, I’ve had a few text messages & emails from friends who’ve been interested in it.
Hope that interest motivates toward further action!