Covenant Eyes partners with CleanBrowsing, a filtering company, to provide website blocking. This means that if a Covenant Eyes member, who is using the Filter service, attempts to visit a pornographic website on any device, then CleanBrowsing will block the site.
Are there different blocking options?
Yes, there are two blocking levels available:
Adult Blocking (standard) blocks access to all adult, pornographic, and explicit websites. It does not block proxy or VPN domains. Mixed-content sites (like Reddit) are allowed. Google and Bing are set to use SafeSearch.
Family Blocking (blocks more) blocks access to all adult, pornographic, and explicit websites. It blocks some proxy and VPN domains. Some mixed-content sites (like Reddit) are blocked. Google, Bing and Yahoo are set to use SafeSearch. YouTube’s (moderate) Restricted Mode is put into action.
How do I change the Blocking Level?
The Filter Guardian, whether it’s you or someone else, is the person who can change the settings. To do so, sign into My Account and select the member you’ll be serving.
Tap the “Settings” option for that member.
On the Settings screen, tap the “Blocking Level” option.
Make your selection and click the blue “Save” button. A confirmation message will appear at the bottom of your screen.
What is the Custom Website List?
It is a tool for customizing the Filter settings; you can use it to help yourself or the person you are assisting.
If you need to block a site that the Blocking Level is not blocking, then enter the site and click the red “Block” button. If a safe site is being blocked by the Blocking Level, you can enter the site and click the green “Allow” button. To activate the changes you make, be sure to refresh the Covenant Eyes software.
Note: A member can add Blocked sites to their own Custom Website List. A member’s Filter Guardian can add Allowed sites to the member’s Custom Website List, but, for his/her own well-being, a member cannot do that.
Example
If you enter badsite.example into the form and click the red “Block” button, then Covenant Eyes will add badsite.example to your Custom Website List as a blocked site.
What about apps?
Our current focus is using CleanBrowsing’s expertise to block known pornography sites. CleanBrowsing will block access to pornography sites in our app or other apps. If the blocking doesn’t occur, for whatever reason, our Screen Accountability service is ready to capture and report concerning screenshots in those apps. If blocking apps is important in your situation, then you’ll want to read about using Apple’s built-in tool for an iPhone® (Screen Time) or using our App Lock feature for Android™ devices.
What about social media?
With a few exceptions, most social media will be accessible/allowed. With the Screen Accountability service, we’re able to capture and report any concerning screenshots that would result from time spent on a social media site or in a social media app.
Note for iPhone users: Covenant Eyes is only able to take screenshots within our app, therefore, activity in social media apps will not appear on the report. It is recommended that members with iPhones remove social media apps and instead browse through the Covenant Eyes app.
What is SafeSearch?
SafeSearch is a search engine’s optional, internal filter meant to limit explicit search and image results. When Covenant Eyes blocking is being used, it will automatically enable and enforce SafeSearch for popular search engines.
In My Account, you can select either the Adult Blocking Level or the Family Blocking Level:
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- Adult Blocking Level: enables and enforces SafeSearch for Google and Bing
- Family Blocking Level: enables and enforces SafeSearch for Google, Bing, and Yahoo
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What about router-based filters?
In some cases, the simultaneous use of a router-based filter and the Covenant Eyes filter will lead to a conflict. Because the two filters are trying to do the same thing, they can end up “fighting” each other instead of helping each other. The user sees this as trouble getting online or loading a page. If you experience this, then consider using one filter. It’s natural to think that “more is better,” but that is simply not the case for content filters.
What happened to Blocked Times?
Covenant Eyes no longer offers that feature. It was a subset of our Filter service for Internet Accountability. In our new program, Screen Accountability, the filter service is different. Basic/General blocking is powered by Clean Browsing. Customized blocking is available by using the Block/Allow lists.