Covenant Eyes: Started to keep founder's stepson away from porn; Founder's stepson arrested for Child Porn

[Jim Burton]

https://churchleaders.com/news/2206049- ... abuse.html

In August, an adult stepson of Covenant Eyes cofounder Ron DeHaas was arrested in Michigan during a child sex abuse materials (CSAM) sting operation. Thomas Wideman, 38, had communicated online—and then agreed to meet—with an officer who posed as a 14-year-old female.

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When Ron DeHaas cofounded Covenant Eyes software 25 years ago, one goal was to safeguard his teenage stepsons from adult content online. According to a bio on the Covenant Eyes website, DeHaas became a stepfather of three when he remarried. (The entrepreneur’s first wife and their two children died in a motor vehicle accident in 1992.)

“When the DeHaas family got the internet at their home, Ron quickly realized the dangers this presented to his new family,” the site notes. Covenant Eyes anti-porn accountability software, which has more than 2 million users, tracks internet activity, flags potential adult content, and alerts an accountability partner, called an “ally.”

The software has faced criticism for violating privacy and for being used to shame people. In response, Covenant Eyes emphasized that users must consent to have their internet activity monitored.

After Mike Johnson (R-LA) became Speaker of the House in October 2023, some people mocked him for admitting that he and his son use the Covenant Eyes app to keep each other accountable.