Scout - Online Accountability Autor: Scout

Scout – Online Accountability turns online activity into communication with the people you trust.
How it works:

Scout allows users to add specific websites and keywords to a monitoring list. When detected in the user's URL, Scout automatically sends a screenshot of the website (along with the URL, page title, and timestamp) directly to the inbox of an accountability partner set up by the user. Scout offers a free tier that lets anyone monitor two sites and send alerts to any accountability partner they choose. To unlock unlimited site monitoring and keyword detection, you’ll need to register an email.

How to use:
• To monitor an entire website, add the website name to the monitoring list (ex: amazon.com)
• To monitor only specific pages on a website, add the page link (ex: amazon.com/candy)
• To monitor every instance of a keyword during browsing, simply add the word (ex: candy)

With Scout:
• A parent can receive an email notification when their child logs in to do homework
• A person can be notified if scout detects pornography, gambling, or online shopping
• If kids agree to screen time limits, parents can verify if they were respected or not

Scout’s monitoring can be turned on and off intentionally. So if the internet is off limits after 9pm, monitoring can be enabled at that time each night.

It’s designed to be:
• Private
• Simple
• Shareable (a registered email can be used by multiple people, on multiple different browsers at the same time)

Scout's goal isn’t to shame or spy on every last thing a person does online, but to hopefully be used to support healthy habits, communication, and transparency, unlike other options that strip away privacy in the hope to expose or incriminate a person. Users retain full control over enabling, disabling, or changing Scout’s settings at any time. When settings are changed, the accountability partner receives an email showing both the previous and current monitored lists, as well as notifications for when monitoring is enabled or disabled. Accountability only works when it’s voluntary — Scout is built around that principle.

For most people, they don't need a nuclear option when they want accountability, and Scout hopes to serve these people in an inexpensive, lightweight, and flexible way. If you’re trying to build better habits or add an extra layer of transparency to your relationships, Scout can help.