Accountability software, or shameware,
is a type of
surveillance software that records the user's Internet activity and reports it to an authority figure, such as a parent, teacher, spouse or religious leader, sometimes called an
accountability partner. The purpose of such software is to change the user's behavior by exposing them to
shame
Shame is an unpleasant self-conscious emotion often associated with negative self-evaluation; motivation to quit; and feelings of pain, exposure, distrust, powerlessness, and worthlessness.
Definition
Shame is a discrete, basic emotion, d ...
and possibly other consequences for Internet activity that the authority figure deems inappropriate, such as viewing
pornography.
Accountability software typically functions by continuously making
screenshots
screenshot (also known as screen capture or screen grab) is a digital image that shows the contents of a computer display. A screenshot is created by the operating system or software running on the device powering the display.
Additionally, s ...
of the user's mobile phone or computer screen and monitoring their internet traffic. It checks both for keywords (such as "gay" or "porn") and images associated with the behavior the software is intended to detect. If such content is found, the software generates a report that is transmitted to the authority figure controlling the software, who may then confront the user about their activity. The software may also double as
content-control software
An Internet filter is software that restricts or controls the content an Internet user is capable to access, especially when utilized to restrict material delivered over the Internet via the Web, Email, or other means. Content-control software dete ...
.
As of 2022, a "multimillion-dollar ecosystem"
of accountability software products exists, marketed to parents and churches. The largest users of accountability software are religious groups and families.
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
Pornography addiction is the controversial application of an addiction model to the use of pornography. Pornography may be part of compulsive sexual behavior with negative consequences to one's physical, mental, social, or financial well-being. W ...
", as in the case of Covenant Eyes,
which made roughly
US $4 million in 2008, from around 56,000
subscriptions.
Following a ''
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San ...
'' report in 2022, Google removed Covenant Eyes and Accountable2You from the
Google Play store
Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android operating syst ...
because these apps used
accessibility functionalities for surveillance purposes in a manner prohibited by Google.
See also
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Content-control software
An Internet filter is software that restricts or controls the content an Internet user is capable to access, especially when utilized to restrict material delivered over the Internet via the Web, Email, or other means. Content-control software dete ...
*
Employee monitoring
Employee monitoring is the (often automated) surveillance of workers' activity. Organizations engage in employee monitoring for different reasons such as to track performance, to avoid legal liability, to protect trade secrets, and to address other ...
*
Employee monitoring software
Employee monitoring software is a means of employee monitoring, and allows company administrators to monitor and supervise all their employee computers from a central location. It is normally deployed over a business network and allows for easy ...
*
Comparison of content-control software and providers (incl. parental control software)
*
Opposition to pornography
*
Parental controls
Parental controls are features which may be included in digital television services, computers and video games, mobile devices and software that allow parents to restrict the access of content to their children. These controls were created to ...
*
Pornography addiction
Pornography addiction is the controversial application of an addiction model to the use of pornography. Pornography may be part of compulsive sexual behavior with negative consequences to one's physical, mental, social, or financial well-being. W ...
*
Sexaholics Anonymous
References
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