Google Bans Christian Anti-Porn Accountability Apps for THIS Reason
The Christian anti-porn accountability sites Covenant Eyes and Accountable2You have been banned from the Google Play Store because they work too well.
In an article posted to their website, Accountable2You reveals that the whole brouhaha began after WIRED published a piece titled The Ungodly Surveillance of Anti-Porn ‘Shameware’ Apps, which focused on “individuals who view accountability apps as surveillance software for policing sinful behavior,” including their own.
Their programs received complaints after some users “felt forced to share their device activity with leadership in their church.” WIRED then reached out to Google with their “‘findings and the Tech Giant subsequently removed their app from the Playstore, along with Covenant Eyes, another company working in the same space. Accountable2You elaborates:
According to the official email we received, Google suspended the Accountable2You app for a violation of the Play Store’s malware policy. The email is unclear about how our app violated this policy, but it seems most likely that the section on “Stalkerware” in Google’s malware policy is where they chose to take issue with our app.
Stalkerware, also known as spouseware, is when a third party uses an app to monitor a user’s data, usually without their knowledge or consent. Basically, the user of the device is forced to share their data with a third party. If you’re thinking of spyware, then you’re correct!
Accountable2You does not support, endorse, or allow this use of our service as defined in our terms and conditions.
Unlike stalkerware, an accountability app like Accountable2You is designed for a device user to willfully share—or not share—their usage data with a third party to help achieve the goals they have for their device.
Undeterred, Accountable2You stands firm in their mission, sharing that “we believe pornography is a grievous sin against a holy God and want to help people live in freedom from its destructive power” and that “lasting freedom is possible in Christ.” CEO Ben Lawrence concludes by asserting:
Despite this attack, we will continue to build software that makes transparency easy for the device owner. We will continue to call out sin and promote educational resources that will edify the body of Christ.
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Pornography is one more hill the godless will die on to faithfully do the will of their father. What an evil generation…
It is interesting to note that these apps can be installed on Android without the Google Play Store, if the publisher will provide the software. Eventually though, you will need to escape the Googlesphere.