MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Six months after suspending two religious “porn surveillance” apps following a Wired magazine report exposing them as spyware, Google Play has quietly reinstated Covenant Eyes and Accountable2You.

Covenant Eyes celebrated the reinstatement of a redesigned version of the app on March 1st through a press release issued today.

“For 162 days, we’ve been working toward and praying for a favorable outcome to our appeal,” Covenant Eyes spokesperson Dan Armstrong said. “We’re grateful that people who want to quit porn are able to get our app through the Google Play Store again.”

As XBIZ reported, in September 2022, Wired’s Security section reporter Dhruv Mehrotra exposed how the two religious surveillance apps, which were being marketed as “porn filters” to churchgoers across America by faith-based corporations, actually had features desinged to spy on churchgoers searches and then sent the information to religious leaders.”

The two apps, Mehrotra wrote, are “part of a multimillion-dollar ecosystem of so-called accountability apps that are marketed to both churches and parents as tools to police online activity. For a monthly fee, some of these apps monitor everything their users see and do on their devices, even taking screenshots (at least one per minute, in the case of Covenant Eyes) and eavesdropping on web traffic.”

These church-endorsed and -marketed apps “then report a feed of all of the users’ online activity directly to a chaperone — an ‘accountability partner,’ in the apps’ parlance.”

After Wired presented its findings to Google, the search giant determined that Covenant Eyes and Accountable2You violated its privacy policies, and a month later Christian news wire Baptist Press reported that the apps were appealing the ban.

A Lucrative Business Built on the Myth of ‘Porn Addiction’

Today, Baptist Press reported that Covenant Eyes’ Dan Armstrong defended the app by stating that “accountability is powerful and needs to be done appropriately. When it comes to churches, leaders must truly commit to creating safe places with safe processes for addressing issues like pornography. Strugglers need to have a safe environment to be honest and vulnerable about their journey. Help from unwanted porn use should be for everyone, whether it’s men, women, or children struggling.”

Accountable2You doubled down on their business model by telling Baptist Press that they markets their services to “individuals, families and the church. We have a group plan that is designed for a church to share a discount with their members.”

Although they claimed that “by design, the pastor and church leadership do not see any member’s activity,” Accountable2You also stated that “members can share their activity with whomever they choose or not at all — and we do not encourage pastors to receive accountability reports from their congregants.”

Last year, Baptist Press interviewed Dawn Hawkins, CEO of NCOSE — formerly Morality in Media — who offered her support to the religious surveillance apps.

“We have heard from hundreds of people who have struggled with pornography addiction and dependencies that the best way most of them have found to help is through an accountability model, similar to AA (Alcoholics Anonymous) and many successful gambling recovery programs,” Hawkins, an outspoken Mormon anti-porn activist and former Republican lobbyist, told the Christian news wire.

Hawkins also claimed that “pornography can be highly addictive” and that research has “objectively identified a wide array of harms from pornography use.”

Scientists have found no basis for classifying pornography as an addiction; the idea seems instead to have arisen as a point of religious dogma in response to personal feelings of shame and guilt. The LDS Church has promoted “porn filters” in Utah and nationwide, based on church elders’ theological belief that all porn — a term that for them encompasses all depictions of sexuality outside of the Mormon marriage — is a ploy by Satan to destroy Mormon households.

Ron DeHaas, president and co-founder of Covenant Eyes, chairs NCOSE’s board of directors.

DeHaas offers what he calls “accountability software” from a small office in Owosso, Michigan, located in the economically ravaged expanse between Flint and Lansing.

DENVER — One of The Pleasure Parlor’s adult subscription boxes has been featured in a Glamour Magazine article titled “8 Best Sex Toy Subscription Boxes That Deliver Endless Pleasure.” 

The Pleasure Parlor subscription box company is owned by sexpert and pleasure products industry veteran Casey Murphy. According to Murphy, who also the founder of Bold Type Marketing, the service offers “a bespoke experience for subscribers with the most customizable options available, based on anatomy, experience level and interests.”

Glamour selected The Pleasure Parlor’s Just For Me box as Best for Solo Play. The article’s image showcases the Yumi Rechargeable Finger Vibe by VeDO Toys, Bad Day Killer Arousal Balm by Bijoux Indiscrets, and the Big Pussy Energy affirmation card deck by Vanessa Muradian. 

Just For Me is a gender-inclusive subscription box, delivered quarterly. Murphy explained that the box contains “body-safe sex toys, arousal balms, lubricants and lifestyle items such as oracle cards, creative workbooks and other accessories centered around self-love and pleasure rituals.”

“The Pleasure Parlor has been my muse and passion project for the last seven years,” Murphy stated. “I started the business — which is also an ecommerce boutique — when I was working as an account manager for an industry distributor. I believed that learning Shopify and drop-shipping would help me better serve my e-commerce accounts who were navigating similar situations.”

To avoid any conflicts of interest with her accounts, Murphy explained, she created a custom-tailored experience for her consumers.

“To this day, The Pleasure Parlor continues to dance to the beat of its own drum in the adult subscription box space,” Murphy said. “I attribute receiving visibility in mainstream publications like Glamour, Buzzfeed and Women.com to this approach.”

The Pleasure Parlor also offers Just For Us — a quarterly subscription for couples — and The Zodiac Box, a one-time purchase containing a curated selection of intimate products for each astrological sign. 

For more information, email casey@thepleasureparlor.com. 

CLEVELAND — Edonista has hired April Hoopes as its director of sales.

A 19-year industry veteran residing in Cleveland, Ohio, Hoopes joined the pleasure products industry in 2007. Initially working for a large retail chain based in Cleveland, she worked her way up from sales associate and store manager to district manager. By 2017, Hoopes transitioned to manufacturing with a sales and education role at Evolved Novelties, and in 2021 accepted the director of sales position with Nu Sensuelle.

“With her almost 20 years of experience in the adult products industry, both on the manufacturing and retail sides, April is an invaluable addition to our company’s team,” Edonista’s head of HR said. “April’s dedication and passion for her work awarded her the 2022 SE Award for Brand Ambassador of the Year. As a well-known industry professional, April has demonstrated unmatched loyalty to product quality, as well as to continuous education to keep herself up to date with any new industry technologies. The team at Edonista believes that April’s knowledge, experience and enthusiasm will be a key contribution to the line they are looking to develop in the near future. With female members making up the majority of the team, Edonista seeks to develop a curated selection of products that can cater for all bodies and preferences.”

Hoopes noted that many of Edonista’s goals and missions aligned with hers, which inspired her decision to join the team.

“They are a brand that is dedicated to education and growth and freeing the stigma that sex is shameful and dirty,” Hoopes said. “For Edonista, it’s not just about ‘How do we create another product?’ but, ‘How do we create something that’s going to be better?’ or ‘How is this going to make a difference?’ And that’s our goal moving forward. That’s how we continue to make change. We’re going to do some pretty unique things, not just with products but with marketing and store support as well.”

According to the company, Hoopes will be expanding Edonista’s customer base and provide trainings and and sales support to store personnel, contributing to the brand’s growth worldwide.

Hoopes can be reached at april@edonista.fun.

Mar 14, 2023 3:01 PM PDT

LAS VEGAS — Carmela Clutch stars in Will Tile’s latest scene, “Rendevous.”
 
The scene begins with Clutch nervously trying on different lingerie. She and Tile immediately become physical as soon as he enters the scene.

“I’ve always wanted to work with Carmela and the day is finally here,” Tile said. “She was a pleasure and this was an amazing day.”

The trailer can be viewed here.

Follow Carmela Clutch on Twitter.

Mar 13, 2023 4:19 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES — Ashli Orion is the latest performer to guest on “The Misfit Effect” podcast, hosted by Rawstarr and CW, the Burbank Misfits.

The interview touches on Orion taking a decade-long break from the industry as well as her comeback plans.

“This was my first time talking about being back in the industry after 10 years,” Orion said. “Rawstarr and CW were so cool to chat with, I felt like I was talking to old friends. It was a fun experience and I hope some of you ‘old timers’ out there can relate to our conversation.”

The episode can be found here.

Follow Ashli Orion on Twitter.

LOS ANGELES — Playboy will relaunch a digital version of its magazine, which was discontinued in 2020, later this year as part of an effort to rebrand their creator platform.

Playboy’s current creator platform, Centerfold, will be integrated into the new platform, according to the announcement made today through a New York Post article.

Centerfold creators — who joined the platform by invitation after it launched in December 2021 through a campaign spearheaded by rapper and influencer Cardi B — were advised of the changes several weeks ago.

Playboy’s parent company, the publicly traded PLBY Group, is aiming to position the newly revamped creator platform as an OnlyFans competition.

Playboy reps told the New York Post that “the online publication will serve as an entry to Playboy’s creator platform, which the brand is selling as an ‘elevated, safe and exclusive’ alternative to OnlyFans.”

Playboy creator Amanda Cerny — a popular model during the Centerfold era of the platform — has been shot for the first “digital cover” of the relaunched magazine, which was shared with the Post.

The article claims Cerny “has made more than $1 million as a Playboy creator using the beta version of the platform, Centerfold.”

Playboy’s Chief Brand Officer Rachel Webber told the Post, “Our Playboy creator platform is the Playboy magazine for the 21st century. We’re putting the power of content creation in the hands of the creative community and giving them the tools to interact with and monetize their fanbases directly.”

According to the company, Playboy’s creators have to apply and be accepted by its editorial team.

Playboy CEO Ben Kohn told the Post he “hopes its creator platform will disrupt the current creator economy the same way Playboy magazine shook up the publishing industry nearly 70 years ago.”

LOS ANGELES — Carnal Media has launched FTMPlus, a new network of sites dedicated to trans male content.

Two of the sites — JockPussy and FTMMen — were created by content producer Jason Sparks. The third, Transcest, was recently created by Carnal honcho Legrand Wolf. The three will now be available together on the FTMPlus platform.

“We want to continue to serve the fans of FTM men and boys by bringing their appeal to a wider audience,” said Sparks. “Online searches for FTM porn are rapidly growing, so the market is there waiting for a premium network like FTMPlus.”

Wolf shared his excitement about the new platform.

“I’m thrilled to be a part of this project and proud of the team that has come together to make FTMPlus a reality,” he said. “We’re excited and proud to showcase the beauty and sexuality of FTM men, and we’re honored to provide a platform where they can express themselves and their desires.”

Wolf also touted Carnal’s commitment to inclusiveness.

“We’ve worked hard to create a safe and supportive space for our performers and our viewers, and we’re excited to see the positive impact FTMPlus will have on the adult industry,” he said.

For more information, visit FTMPlus.

Follow FTMPlus and Carnal on Twitter.

The morning after the 2023 XBIZ Awards, Dillon Diaz awoke to an unusual text. It was from Michael Boston, the 2022 XBIZ Gay Performer of the Year, and it read simply, “Congratulations, babe!”

Diaz had been unable to attend the ceremony due to a work commitment, so he didn’t immediately make a connection, and Boston didn’t reply to a follow-up text. But as Diaz headed to the gym with his fiance, fellow performer Jake Waters, more congratulatory text messages began pouring in.

Finally, in between reps, Diaz was astonished to learn that he had won his first XBIZ Awards: “Best Gay Sex Scene” for a notably sweaty seven-man orgy alongside Brandon Anderson, Killian Knox, Blain O’Connor, Dakota Payne, Roman Todd and Andrew Miller in Disruptive Films’ “Briar Basin Ranch” — and the coveted title of Gay Performer of the Year.

“I just kept looking at my phone in disbelief,” Diaz recalls. “I have to tell you, I sort of hid behind the weight bench and cried a little bit. Jake saw my face and came over to ask what was wrong and all I could do was just hand him my phone with the screenshot showing my name as the winner. I could not believe it. I am so bummed I couldn’t be there. It really means a lot. I usually make a point of going to all the awards shows, but I was just so exhausted. It had been a really rough week.”

Diaz’s emotional response was due, in part, to its timing.

On paper, he was at the top of his game. He had starred in a number of high-profile titles, from a headlining role in “Briar Basin Ranch” to a splashy supporting turn in “Ride or Die,” which claimed Gay Feature of the Year honors for Raging Stallion Studios. He was also at the vanguard of a steadily growing group of male performers who regularly cross genres from gay to bi to trans and even straight features. In fact, Diaz earned two additional 2023 XBIZ Awards nominations for his work opposite Kyle Connors in “The House Sitter” for Disruptive Films/Taboo Men, and as part of a rain-soaked orgy in “Scorpio Season” for Lust Cinema opposite Dante Colle, Cody Steele, Karla Lane, Freya Parker, Alexis Tae, Vanessa Vega and Maya Woulfe.

“I really love working for Lust Cinema. They’re story-driven and cinematic. They put everything into what they do,” he says. “They take care of everyone. Shooting for them has been transformative. I’ve never had that kind of experience before.”

The “Scorpio Season” shoot exemplified the kind of adult industry experience that Diaz craves. “We were in a parking lot in downtown Los Angeles with a rain machine pouring down on us. It was cold! But we had a great time. We just got into it. I remember how we realized it was something different and unique and special, and that we were going to look back at this moment in our lives and think, ‘Wow, I really did that.’ That was one of the highlights of my career so far.”

Yet despite riding the crest of a wave of acclaimed titles, work had nevertheless slowed down to the point that Diaz was questioning whether his time in adult had come to its natural end.

“Winning renewed my strength when I needed it the most,” he reveals. “I thought, ‘Okay, people have noticed you, they appreciate what you’re doing. You can’t stop now.’ It changed my perspective. And now 2023 has been really amazing so far.”

In addition to fielding new offers from a range of studios, Diaz has been invited to attend an array of events as a featured speaker, including the International Mr. Leather convention in May and a holistic wellness retreat for men in October, organized by Himeros.tv.

Diaz is savoring the opportunities to branch out, afforded by his XBIZ win. “The chance to instruct, or share, is really interesting and exciting,” he says. “I’m really enjoying that.”

XBIZ first profiled Diaz in 2021, three years into his career, when he was named Man of the Month by Noir Male, an imprint of Mile High Media, and had made his directorial debut for the label.

“I decided if I wanted to see people like me writing and directing, I couldn’t wait for someone else to do it,” he told XBIZ at the time. “I had to do it myself.”

Two years on, Diaz admits, the fire had dimmed a bit.

“Towards the end of last year I was feeling very angry and bitter. I wasn’t sure how I was going to move forward because it was getting to the point where I just felt like I was being choked. My creativity was being chilled and I couldn’t figure out how to break through,” he says. “I was like, ‘I think I’m gonna have to move on to something else because I don’t want to live this way.’”

Diaz cites a robust support system that carried him through his low points, among them director-performer Micah Martinez and 2020 XBIZ Gay Performer of the Year Pierce Paris, who urged his Twitter fans and industry colleagues to cast their votes for Diaz.

“Pierce was one of the first people I ever worked with in this industry. I remember when they told me I would be working with him, I freaked out because he was someone I knew about before I got into porn,” Diaz marvels. “He’s a big deal, but he was so kind and encouraging and really helped me get through our scene. We’ll go out to dinner now and we text back and forth. He’s a busy guy, but he’ll make time for me. So it was a huge gesture for him to say, ‘I already won this award, vote for him instead.’ I was floored. After that, I already felt like a winner.”

Diaz also praised the prolific Martinez for his advocacy.

“Micah has booked me for a bunch of jobs. I’ve seen him work behind the camera and I’m so impressed with him,” said Diaz. “One of the things he’s been doing is making sure he’s booking more models of color. His team of people is diverse. There’s got to be more people like Micah stepping into positions where they can make these kinds of decisions. It’s going to take time and persistence, but that is what is going to make a real difference.”

Diaz is frank about the platform the XBIZ win affords him as a performer of color.

“Racism has followed me; I never had to go looking for it,” he said. “Even all the way back when I was working as a go-go boy, the white dancers got a lot more attention and more tips. Usually, on a movie set, I am the only person of color in the whole building. And it’s fine, I’m comfortable with everyone there and people have generally been really nice to me, but you can’t help but notice things like that. I want to change that. There needs to be more diversity, and not just with Black people but Latin and Asian people, too.”

He singles out trans performer Natassia Dreams for exhorting the industry to hire more cinematographers and makeup artists of color, and happily described a recent shoot with Forplay Films that featured an entirely Asian crew, an energizing new experience even for Diaz, who seeks out a diverse range of opportunities whenever possible. “I just kept looking around at them and smiling,” he enthuses. “It was amazing.”

“I’m just going to keep putting out the best performances that I can, and try to make a good impression wherever I go, learn as much as I can and see what I can do to make change,” he said. “I feel like you can’t really expect people to do things for you in life; you have to do it for yourself. And now with this recognition, I’m at a point in my career where I can have an impact, like bringing more people of color in front of the camera and behind it.”

For several days following his XBIZ wins, Diaz was tagged in social media posts complaining that a cross-genre performer had won top honors in a gay category. However, that kind of backlash has steadily declined, he observes, citing performers like Paris and Dante Colle as role models.

“Dante won Performer of the Year and Pierce won Gay Performer a couple of years before that. I saw them crossing genres beyond just gay or bi to trans and straight shoots, and they were having a great time. I would see them and think, ‘I can do that, too.’”

As Diaz rides the tailwinds kicked up by his newly elevated status, fiance Jake Waters has been a steadying influence.

“He’s amazing. He’s always so positive and uplifting,” says Diaz. “Whenever I’m down, he knows how to listen and how to lift me back up. Whenever I need a kick in the pants, he knows just how much force to use. We’ll sit and talk about things with each other and when we’re done venting, we build each other up to go back out there and keep on doing what we’re doing.”

With fresh opportunities at his feet, the newly crowned Gay Performer of the Year stressed that he takes absolutely nothing for granted.

“I keep learning new things about myself,” Diaz notes. “That’s what gets me excited when I wake up in the morning. I was in my 30s when I learned how much I enjoy sex with women, and I learned that I love acting and the opportunity to play a character. If you give me a script and get me into wardrobe, I’ll come through for you. I love it all.”

Find the premium social media links for Dillon Diaz here.

Mar 13, 2023 2:52 PM PDT

LOS ANGELES — Leana Lovings has won BaDoink’s Oxxxars Award for Best Newcomer in Virtual Reality.

“It was really nice of BaDoinkVR to share some of the love with this wonderful gift of naming me their Best Newcomer,” Lovings said. “I’m so abundantly glad my fans are there to support it too.”

Click here to learn more about this year’s OXXXcars Awards.

Lovings’ BaDoinkVR fantasy can be viewed here.

Follow Leana Lovings on Twitter.

BOSTON — Frank Lawrence, the creator of Vibrating Tarot, will serve as the special guest moderator of tomorrow’s edition of the Twitter-based chat show #SexTalkTuesday, where he will discuss erotic art, pleasure products and esotericism.

Frank Lawrence, a rep noted, is “a multidisciplinary artist and typographer who gardens poisonous plants, collects old typewriters, and plays the saw. In addition to specializing in the design and production of books and decks of cards, he currently reads tarot and ESP cards for clients and offers a class on sigil design.”

Lawrence’s Vibrating Tarot, the rep continued, is “a forthcoming deck featuring iconic, body-safe, globally renowned award-winning adult pleasure products, showcased upon Pamela Colman Smith’s original tarot backgrounds, illustrated over 100 years ago.

Angie Rowntree, founder of Sssh.com and producer of #SexTalkTuesday stated, “Over the years, many of our followers have expressed interest in metaphysical ideas and practices as they relate to sexuality. Frank’s tarot project combines the symbolism of erotic pleasure with the esoteric — so we’re very excited to have him join us, and we can’t wait to hear everyone’s thoughts.”

According to Lawrence, “Vibrating Tarot clears away stigma with its initial humor but should also be looked at in a serious way as a legitimate tool of divination to engage with, solo or with friends and trusted partners, in search of knowledge found at the intersection between sexuality and spirituality.”

For more information on the deck and the project, visit the Vibrating Tarot KickStarter page.

To participate in Sex Talk Tuesday, use the #SexTalkTuesday hashtag on Twitter during the hour-long show starting at 5 p.m. (PDT).

Follow Sssh.com on Twitter and XBIZ.tv and direct inquiries to Rowntree at editor@sssh.com.