First-Ever Standards and Ratings To Protect Teen Mental Health Online Launched Under the Leadership of The Mental Health Coalition

Major Tech Companies Among First Platforms to be Evaluated Under New Global Framework 

WASHINGTON, Feb. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- On Safer Internet Day, The Mental Health Coalition (MHC), founded by designer and social activist, Kenneth Cole, announced the launch of Safe Online Standards (S.O.S.), the world's first expert driven standards and ratings system designed to protect teen mental health online. 

S.O.S. establishes clear, user-informed data for how social media, gaming, and digital platforms design products, protect users ages 13–19, and address exposure to suicide and self-harm content. Participating companies will voluntarily submit documentation on their policies, tools, and product features, which will be evaluated by an independent panel of global experts. Results will be published in a public, color-coded ratings system designed to be simple and accessible. S.O.S. was developed without technology company or government funding or influence.

"For years, we've worked to break the stigma that keeps people from talking openly about mental health," said Kenneth Cole, Founder of The Mental Health Coalition. "As more of our lives move online, that work must evolve. Safe Online Standards are not a solution in themselves, but the launch of an ongoing initiative—one that empowers the real stakeholders with a genuine interest in outcomes: users, their parents, and the brands and businesses that shape digital experiences. By creating a shared framework for accountability, S.O.S. helps move us toward online spaces that better support mental health and well-being."

"Standards and ratings are commonplace today, except in the online technology space," said Dr. Dan Reidenberg, Founder and Director of S.O.S. at The Mental Health Coalition. "The public and advertisers want to know what is a safer place for youth and young adults in their online activities, and now we can help them with that through the S.O.S. program." 

Industry Participation and Advertiser Alignment

The first cohort of technology companies to be a part of S.O.S. includes Discord, Google/YouTube, Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Roblox and Twitch. Representatives from Meta, TikTok, and Snap joined MHC at the launch and will be the first major platforms to complete evaluations.

Recognizing the central role advertisers play in shaping platform behavior, S.O.S. provides brands and agencies with a transparent tool to align media investments with values that prioritize youth mental health. Incorporating S.O.S. ratings into brand-safety and media-planning decisions helps reinforce incentives for healthier online environments.

The coalition also recognizes the need to address online gaming platforms where youth spend considerable time. Thriving in Games, a global nonprofit driving positive change in online gaming, and Roblox expressed support for the S.O.S. initiative to protect the mental health of young people.

"We're proud to support the Mental Health Coalition's Safe Online Standards, led by Dr. Dan Reidenberg, a renowned expert in mental health and suicide prevention, and to be one of the first companies to be voluntarily assessed. We've spent over a decade working to keep young people safe on our apps, and we're constantly working to improve. These standards provide the public with a meaningful way to evaluate platform protections and hold companies accountable - and we look forward to more tech companies signing up for the assessments." Antigone Davis, VP, Global Head of Safety, Meta

"Keeping young people safe is a responsibility where there is no finish line. Building a digital world that is a positive and thoughtful space for everyone, especially the next generation, requires constant listening. We are humbled to learn from the Safe Online Standards and the expertise of Dr. Reidenberg and the Mental Health Coalition as we continue our daily efforts to ensure teens have a safe experience online."
Suzy Loftus, Head of Trust & Safety at TikTok USDS JV

Snap, Inc. has also agreed to proceed with its application in 2026, as the coalition seeks to expand its effort to additional online platforms.

 "We thank and congratulate The Mental Health Coalition, Kenneth Cole, and Dr. Dan Reidenberg on the launch of Safe Online Standards (S.O.S.). The organization's work is truly impactful, and Snapchat is pleased to share that we will join the inaugural cohort, conduct the self-assessment, and undergo the S.O.S. evaluation in 2026. We are committed to doing our part to carefully and responsibly address suicide and self-harm content on our platform and across the ecosystem, and to provide tools, resources, and materials to those who may be struggling."
Jacqueline Beauchere, Global Head of Platform Safety at Snap, Inc.

Bipartisan and Expert Support 

Lawmakers attending the launch emphasized the need for bipartisan solutions to address the mental health impact of digital platforms on youth. Senators Mark Warner (D-VA) and Bernie Moreno (R-OH) expressed support for the S.O.S. initiative. 

In 2023, Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory calling for "Urgent action by policymakers, technology companies, researchers, families, and young people alike to gain a better understanding of the full impact of social media use, maximize the benefits and minimize the harms of social media platforms, and create safer, healthier online environments to protect children." Today, lawmakers who attended the S.O.S. launch emphasized the urgent need for bipartisan action to address the growing mental health challenges facing children and teens online.
"We have had a rating system for films for over 50 years.  Similar guidance for social media is long overdue." 
Dr. Tom Insel, former Director of the National Institute of Mental Health

"At the Child Mind Institute, we know our families face challenges with their kids' social media use. While social media is here to stay, we believe open communication is essential for navigating its impact on mental health and wellness. The new Safe Online Standards represent an important first step in enabling families to discuss online safety in a clear and accessible manner. We support the ongoing development and evaluation of these standards and hope they serve as a solid foundation for technology companies to create safer platforms that support the mental health of young users."
Harold Koplewicz, M.D., CEO, Child Mind Institute

"At Internet Matters, we believe that children deserve a safe digital world. Their safety and well being depends on education around online safety, parental involvement in their technology use, and companies doing more to ensure their platforms are safer. The new Safe Online Standards are an important contribution to the online community, which is why we have been proud to support their development, and we encourage all technology companies to adopt the Standards.
Working together, we can create a safer digital world for children."  Carolyn Bunting, Founder and CEO, Internet Matters

"For a long time, parents, adolescents, regulators, and even members of the technology industry have been seeking a standardized approach to understanding the safety measures offered by social media platforms. Through the S.O.S. initiative, the Mental Health Coalition worked to create such a set of standards by convening a world-class team of professionals who recognize the capacity for social media to impact the health of young people and who share a commitment to enhancing the safety of these online spaces. The resulting system is quick to use, easy to understand, and based on a thorough vetting process. With the new standards in place, parents and young people will have an indispensable tool for understanding the risks and supports available from their favorite platforms and for deciding where they will live their online lives."  David S. Bickham PhD., Director of the Digital Wellness Lab, Boston Children's Hospital 

The Work Ahead

MHC calls on technology companies to participate in the S.O.S. program and embed mental health considerations into product design. Advertisers, who already operate under established industry standards, play a critical role in reinforcing accountability. The Brand Safety Institute announced its support for S.O.S. at the launch.

"Safety and awareness are at the heart of the Brand Safety Institute's work. In today's complex advertising ecosystem, we lead with a focus on protecting both brands and people, and we believe achieving this requires digital environments that safeguard everyone—especially youth. That's why we support the new Safe Online Standards (S.O.S.,) which promote the mental health  and well-being of young audiences exposed to advertising online." Neal Thurman, Co-Founder, Brand Safety Institute

S.O.S. (Safe Online Standards) is an initiative supported by the Mental Health Coalition and led by Dr. Dan Reidenberg. To learn more about S.O.S. and see select coalition members that have endorsed the standards, visit www.safeonlinestandards.org. 

About The Mental Health Coalition
The Mental Health Coalition (MHC), founded by designer and activist Kenneth Cole, is a nonprofit coalition of the nation's leading organizations, brands, and individuals who have joined forces to end the stigma surrounding mental health. MHC is socializing, normalizing, and destigmatizing mental health while empowering access to vital resources for all. Learn more at thementalhealthcoalition.org.

SOURCE The Mental Health Coalition