US Speaker battling porn addiction? Old video of Mike Johnson endorsing 'porn de-addiction' app resurfaces

Mike Johnson, a staunch conservative and vocal Christian who was elected as United States House of Representatives speaker last month, finds himself in a soup. An old video of him accepting the use of an app marketed as a tool to help people 'quit porn' has resurfaced on the internet.

In a year-old video clip, Johnson can be seen discussing his and his son's utilisation of Covenant Eyes, an app designed to track and monitor users' online activity across phones and computers.

17-year-old 'accountability partner'

In the video, which was reportedly recorded at a "War on Technology" event held by Cypress Baptist church in Louisiana in October 2022, Johnson said: "Covenant Eyes is the software that we’ve been using a long time in our household."

He goes on to describe how the 'subscription-based' app tracks an individual's data and sends an alert to their "accountability partner" whenever an "objectionable" website is accessed.

Johnson goes on to reveal that his 'accountability partner' was his 17-year-old son Jack, who he boasts has a "clean slate".

The pair, he said, gets a report on one another's internet use once a week, and that any objectionable material sends an immediate notification.

Does Johnson have a porn addiction?

Despite Johnson's endorsement of the app, there is no indication that he struggles with a pornography addiction.

In the video, shared on Elon Musk's social media platform X by user @receiptmaven, Johnsoncan instead be heard advising fathers of teenage boys to make use of the software.

Watch the video here:

While he says that he doesn't profit from referring the app and is only endorsing it as a user, the X user, Receipt Maven in a second postalleged that "He (Mike Johnson) made $20/pop for every referral."

What is Covenant Eyes?

As per the Guardian, the Covenant Eyes app is intended to assist users in "live porn-free with confidence".

Calling porn a "human problem," the app's website claims "we provide a human solution".

"Covenant Eyes helps you and the ones you love live porn-free through transformative accountability relationships."

(With inputs from agencies)