Article By Leah MarieAnn Klett
As smartphones become increasingly embedded in childhood, former NFL quarterback and philanthropist Tim Tebow is urging parents to remain actively involved in their children’s digital lives as online predators are finding new and “evil” ways to access vulnerable young people.
Tebow, whose Tim Tebow Foundation works globally to combat human trafficking and child exploitation, recently partnered with Bark Technologies, a digital safety company that offers monitoring tools and youth-focused smartphones designed to help parents protect their children online.
In an interview with The Christian Post, Tebow explained that the partnership comes as he’s seen many families struggle to balance digital independence with safety.
“At the Tim Tebow Foundation, we fight for people who can’t fight for themselves — and that includes children who are being sexually exploited,” the 38-year-old former NFL player and Heisman Trophy winner said. “So much exploitation has moved online, and the same devices in our kids’ hands right now can be easy access points for people with the goal to do evil.”
“A phone can be a great tool for a family,” he said. “It can also be a door a predator tries to walk through to get into your child’s life.”
Tebow, who testified before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Counterterrorism earlier this year, asking Congress to address the rising rates of child exploitation online, said his work with trafficking survivors and law enforcement has exposed him to such horrific realities.
“We’ve heard too many horror stories of kids being approached online without their parents ever knowing,” he said.
“A predator used to have to get past the adults to get access to a child,” Tebow added. “Now the device in your child’s hand can put a stranger right beside them — pulling up a chair no one can see. They can build trust for months while a loving parent in the next room has no idea.”
Last week, Tebow joined U.S. Reps. Laurel Lee, R-Fla., and Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., in supporting the bipartisan Renewed Hope Act of 2026, legislation that would expand federal resources dedicated to identifying and rescuing children depicted in child sexual abuse material.
The measure comes amid a sharp increase in identified victims. According to supporters of the bill, the number of unidentified children seen in sexually abusive images known to law enforcement has risen from 57,000 in 2024 to more than 89,000 today.
“For too long, hundreds of thousands of girls and boys have endured horrific abuse — often at the hands of adults who are supposed to protect them,” Tebow said in a statement supporting the legislation.
“Children in our nation are right now living in the darkest of evils, crying out for help. Their pain must stir us to act.”
The proposed legislation would require the hiring, training and assignment of at least 200 investigators, analysts and forensic specialists focused on child exploitation investigations and victim identification efforts.
The push reflects concerns Tebow told CP he’s heard repeatedly from law enforcement officials.
“This evil is more organized than most of us imagine,” Tebow said. “Offenders network online, hide behind screen names, and teach each other how to get away with it.”
“Too often, the people with the goal to do evil work together better than the people with the goal to do good,” he continued. “If we want to fight back, we have to come together.”
That shared mission is what drew him to Bark Technologies. According to Tebow, the company’s monitoring and parental control tools are a practical way for families to intervene before problems escalate.
“At our foundation, we believe that there is power when we come together — and that with the right tools, we really can push back against the darkness,” Tebow said.
“Bark gives parents a way to spot the warning signs early and step in — not to spy on their kids, but to protect them,” he said. “For me, this isn’t about a product. It’s about the mission — keeping kids safe.”
The partnership includes a fundraising component in which 20% of Bark Phone purchases made through the campaign will support the Tim Tebow Foundation’s anti-human trafficking and survivor care efforts.
For Tebow, the issue has taken on even greater meaning since becoming a father. He and his wife, Demi-Leigh Tebow, welcomed their daughter, Daphne, in July 2025, a life-changing experience he said caused him to think entirely differently about technology.
“Everything changed the day we brought Daphne home from the hospital,” he said. “I remember walking through the house thinking, we’ve got to change that, we’ve got to fix that — she could fall there, she could get hurt there. Every parent knows that instinct.”
“But here’s what hit me: we think that way about a sharp corner or a staircase, so why don’t we think the same way when we hand a child a device?” Tebow said. “The danger is just as real — honestly, it can be greater.”
“So becoming a dad didn’t just change how I think about technology,” he added. “It made it personal. I’m not fighting for someone else’s kids anymore. I’m fighting for mine too.”
As families navigate those challenges, Tebow encourages parents to think of technology as something children should grow into gradually.
“Demi and I are walking through these same questions for our own family,” he said.
“I think about it like teaching a kid to swim. You don’t toss them in the deep end, but you don’t keep them out of the water forever either — you start in the shallow end, within arm’s reach, and give them more room as they grow.”
For Tebow, that philosophy helps explain why the Bark Phone’s approach is resonating with many parents. He noted that the device’s customizable controls allow parents to introduce new features over time.
“I think it’s resonating because, for years, parents might have felt stuck between two options that both come with a cost,” he said.
“Either you hand your child the whole internet overnight, or they go without a phone that could connect them to family and friends.”
“The Bark Phone can start with just the essentials — calling and texting the people you approve — and as your child shows they’re ready, you unlock more, on your timeline, not the culture’s,” Tebow said. “It doesn’t just help you protect your kid. It grows up right alongside them.”
Despite the technology available, Tebow stressed that devices and parental controls can never replace engaged parenting.
“I say this as a brand-new dad who’s still figuring it out every single day — don’t parent out of fear, parent out of love,” he said.
“By all means, use super helpful technology like the Bark Phone that can help you protect your kids. But also remember, nothing will ever matter more than a mom or dad who keeps showing up.”
Tebow acknowledged that he and his wife do not have all the answers, but said their goal is to remain present and involved — and encourage other parents to be vigilant about their children’s online safety.
“Demi and I don’t have all the answers about technology — what parent does?” he said. “What I believe our kids need most is our presence — to stay close, keep the conversation open, and love them unconditionally.”
Referencing 1 Corinthians 13:7, the athlete emphasized: “Love always protects.”
“I believe every boy and girl is made in the image of God,” Tebow said. “Scripture calls us again and again to fight for the most vulnerable people, and it’s hard to find anyone more vulnerable than a child.”
“Love isn’t just a feeling; it’s a choice to put someone’s best interest first and act on their behalf,” he said. “That’s why we fight for them.”
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