What Online SOS does

OnlineSOS was a San Francisco-based 501(c)-style nonprofit organization founded in 2016 by Liz Lee to serve individuals experiencing online abuse. The organization operated with a small team of 1-10 staff plus a five-member board (Claire, Steven, Katie, Wendy, Stephanie) under Executive Director Terri, and delivered free mental health services including therapy and case management, legal assistance, crisis coaching, and referrals to mental health, legal, and cybersecurity professionals. Service recipients were individuals aged 18 or older residing in the United States, including journalists, public figures, and everyday Americans facing hate speech, stalking, threats, extortion, deep fakes, coordinated harassment, and privacy violations.

OnlineSOS's core product was a website-based resource and content platform (onlinesos.org), which housed expert-authored educational content developed with contributions from psychologists, lawyers, cybersecurity professionals, and tech platforms. The organization operated no proprietary technology stack or mobile application and did not generate revenue through fees or subscriptions; all services were provided without charge. Funding came from donations, grants, and pro bono support, with the only named institutional investor being New Media Ventures (2017). Distribution occurred through the website, email newsletter, and referral partnerships with organizations serving journalists and at-risk individuals.

After nine years of operation, the board executed an asset acquisition in 2025 by PEN America, the literary and free-expression nonprofit founded in 1922. PEN America acquired the website, name, and digital resources of OnlineSOS and is integrating them into its multilingual Field Manual against online harassment (available in English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Swahili). OnlineSOS is scheduled to sunset in 2025 following completion of the transition.

Name

Online SOS

Legal name

OnlineSOS

Website

https://onlinesos.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Acquired

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

OnlineSOS was a San Francisco-based nonprofit founded in 2016 that provided free mental health, legal, and case management support to U.S. adults experiencing online abuse, including journalists, public figures, and everyday victims of harassment.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Online Harassment Support Services

akta.pro primary industry

Cyberbullying Prevention, Reporting & Case Management (EDAFALAG)

Keywords

• Online harassment support
• Digital safety resources
• Crisis coaching services
• Online abuse victim assistance
• Nonprofit digital safety

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Nonprofit Funding Model: Online SOS operated as a nonprofit organization funded through donations, grants, and support from donors and pro bono counsel. Revenue was not generated through product sales or service fees as all services were provided free of charge to individuals experiencing online abuse.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

OnlineSOS is a nonprofit organization that provides free tactical and emotional support to individuals experiencing online harassment. Its core offerings include free mental health services (therapy and case management), legal assistance referrals, crisis coaching, and expert-backed educational content developed with psychologists, lawyers, cybersecurity professionals, and tech platforms. Following a 2025 asset acquisition by PEN America, OnlineSOS resources are being integrated into PEN America's Field Manual against online harassment.

Product overview

OnlineSOS operated as a single unified nonprofit platform providing crisis support services for people facing online abuse, including free mental health services (therapy and case management), legal assistance, and expert-backed educational content. Following its 2025 acquisition by PEN America, the OnlineSOS resources are being integrated into PEN America's Field Manual against online harassment, which is available in multiple languages including English, Spanish, French, Arabic, and Swahili.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• OnlineSOS Support Services Free tactical and emotional support services for individuals experiencing online abuse, including free therapy, case management, legal assistance referrals, crisis coaching, and expert-backed educational content. Built for U.S. adults experiencing hate speech, stalking, threats, extortion, deep fakes, coordinated harassment, and privacy violations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Provided support for journalists, public figures, and everyday Americans responding to online threats over nine years of operation

Named customers3 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PEN AmericacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Online SOS was acquired by PEN America, a nonprofit founded in 1922 to protect the safety and free expression of writers, journalists, and others at risk. PEN America acquired the website, name, and digital resources of Online SOS. Resources will be integrated into PEN America's Field Manual against online harassment, available in Spanish, French, Arabic, and Swahili.
• Mental Health ProfessionalscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health professionals including Sam, Nina, and Soo provided compassionate care and clinical insight to the organization, contributing to the development of support services and content for individuals experiencing online harassment.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• HeartMob (Hollaback!): HeartMob is a real-time support platform powered by Hollaback! that helps people experiencing online harassment document incidents and crowdsource bystander intervention. Closely comparable to OnlineSOS in target user (people facing online abuse) and intervention-based support model.
• The Cybersmile Foundation: UK-based nonprofit providing support, education, and resources to people affected by cyberbullying and online harassment. Most direct functional peer to OnlineSOS, delivering free counseling, education, and expert content for online abuse victims.
• Access Now Digital Helpline: Access Now operates a 24/7 Digital Helpline providing rapid-response support to civil society facing digital security threats and online harassment. Comparable in offering case-management style technical/legal referral support to at-risk individuals globally.
• Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ): CPJ provides safety resources and emergency support to journalists facing threats, including online threats and harassment. Highly comparable in serving journalists and public figures with tactical/advocacy support analogous to OnlineSOS's journalism-targeted offering.

Broad incumbents

• StopBullying.gov: U.S. government-run resource hub providing information and prevention guidance on cyberbullying and online harassment. Comparable in free educational content delivery for harassment victims, though government-funded and prevention-oriented rather than crisis-support.
• PEN America: PEN America (the acquiring parent) operates the Online Harassment Field Manual and broader free-expression programs. OnlineSOS's content now lives inside PEN's ecosystem, making PEN both acquirer and closest functional incumbent in the journalist/online-safety support space.

Emerging players

• TrollBusters: TrollBusters provides targeted support to women writers and journalists facing online harassment, including crisis response and reputation services. Comparable in narrow focus on journalists/public figures and tactical/technical support for online abuse response.
• Cyberbullying Research Center: Academic-affiliated research center producing evidence-based resources on cyberbullying prevention and response. Adjacent to OnlineSOS in producing expert-backed educational content for online harassment, though research-output oriented rather than direct victim support.
• International Women's Media Foundation (IWMF): IWMF's Emergency Fund and online-safety programs provide grants and training to women journalists facing harassment, threats, and abuse. Overlaps with OnlineSOS on journalist-targeted, online-threat support and expert-backed content for at-risk public figures.

Regional players

• Digital Rights Foundation (Pakistan): PK-based NGO operating a Cyber Harassment Helpline providing legal, psychological, and technical support to victims of online harassment. Closely comparable in integrated crisis-model — legal + mental health + technical — though restricted by regional geography unlike OnlineSOS's US-only Terms.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/onlinesosorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/onlinesosnetwork

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Online SOS