common sense
Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit providing research-based media ratings, digital literacy education, privacy and AI-safety evaluations, and child online-safety advocacy for families, K-12 educators, policymakers, and technology platforms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2007
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What common sense does
Common Sense Media, Inc. is a San Francisco-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 that serves families with children, K-12 educators and schools, policymakers, and technology and media companies. Its core activities include independent age-based ratings and expert reviews for movies, television, books, games, apps, and other media; free digital-literacy curriculum and professional development; original research; and advocacy for child online-safety and technology-accountability policies. The organization reports reaching 124 million households and 1.4 million educators.\n\nIts product and technology surface includes the Media Ratings and Reviews Platform, Common Sense Education, a K-12 digital-literacy and well-being curriculum, AI literacy lessons and teacher training, privacy evaluations, a Privacy Seal, AI risk assessments, and the Youth AI Safety Institute. The ratings and evaluation stack combines research and human content review with age-based rating systems, privacy frameworks, and AI safety methodologies. AI is used to assist with review moderation and personalized recommendations, while educational tools include Google Classroom delivery, auto-graded quizzes, Google and Microsoft single sign-on, and curriculum distribution through Nearpod.\n\nAs a nonprofit, Common Sense Media is funded through individual membership subscriptions, tax-deductible donations, foundation and philanthropic grants, and corporate partnerships rather than through conventional equity financing. Educator resources are free, while media-site membership is offered as an annual subscription. The organization reaches users directly through its websites, educational content, email, research, webinars, and community activity, and distributes ratings through embedded integrations with media, device, retail, and education platforms. Public annual revenue is not disclosed in the supplied material.
common sense firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- common sense
- Legal name
- Common Sense Media, Inc.
- Website
- https://commonsense.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2007
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Common Sense Media is an independent nonprofit providing research-based media ratings, digital literacy education, privacy and AI-safety evaluations, and child online-safety advocacy for families, K-12 educators, policymakers, and technology platforms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
common sense industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Children's Media Ratings and Digital Literacy Education
- NAICS
- Broadcasting and Content Providers (516), Information (51), Public Relations Agencies (54182)
- SIC
- Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning) (MPABADAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Family Co-Viewing Educational Channels (MPABAKAL), Public Media Digital Platforms & Streaming (Apps, On-demand, Podcasts) (MPABADAG), Information & Media Literacy (Evaluate Sources, Misinformation) (EDAAAAAI)
Keywords
Where common sense is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
common sense business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Membership and Donations: Individual membership subscriptions and charitable donations from supporters constitute the primary revenue stream, with the organization noting that 100% of membership fees support their independent work.
- Foundation and Philanthropic Grants: Generous foundation partners including Andrew Carnegie Foundation, Gates Foundation, Bloomberg Philanthropies, Walton Family Foundation, and others provide major funding support for mission-driven programs.
- Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with technology companies (Apple, AT&T, TikTok, Aura), media platforms (Comcast, Charter, Cox), and educational technology providers (Nearpod, Infosec) provide operational and programmatic support.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free educator resources and curriculum |
| Subscription | Annual | Media site membership subscription |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Tax-deductible donations |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels10 records
Marketing channels7 records
common sense product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Common Sense Media is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces expert, age-based ratings and reviews of movies, TV shows, books, games, and apps, delivers a free K-12 digital literacy and citizenship curriculum to educators, conducts research on children's media use and AI safety, and advocates for child-protective technology policies. Its offerings are accessed through membership subscriptions, embedded media-platform integrations, and partnerships with schools and foundations.
Product overview
Common Sense Media operates as a nonprofit organization with three interconnected offerings: (1) the Media Ratings & Reviews Platform providing age-based ratings and expert reviews for movies, TV, books, games, and apps; (2) Common Sense Education, a K-12 digital literacy platform featuring the K-12 Digital Literacy & Well-Being Curriculum, AI Literacy Lessons for Grades 6-12, and professional development courses including AI Basics for K-12 Teachers; and (3) the Youth AI Safety Institute providing research and risk assessments for AI systems. Additional offerings include the Privacy Program with evaluations and Privacy Seal certification, Family Engagement Resources including workshops and toolkits, and Advocacy Programs for policy reform. The organization reaches 124 million households, 1.4 million educators, and has secured $80 billion in community broadband funding.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Youth AI Safety Institute: An institute combining rigorous research, clear standards, and independent evaluation to ensure AI systems are designed with childhood development in mind
Products and services
- Media Ratings & Reviews Platform Flagship platform providing age-based ratings and expert reviews for movies, TV shows, books, games, apps, and other media to help families make informed decisions about content consumption.
- Common Sense Education K-12 digital literacy and citizenship platform providing standards-aligned lesson plans, teaching strategies, professional development resources, and classroom tools for educators at no cost.
- K-12 Digital Literacy & Well-Being Curriculum Comprehensive curriculum with K-8 and 9-12 components covering digital citizenship topics including privacy, safety, digital footprint, media literacy, cyberbullying, and healthy technology habits.
- AI Literacy Lessons for Grades 6-12 A collection of interactive lessons focused on AI literacy for middle and high school students, covering recommendation algorithms, AI bias, and responsible AI use.
- AI Basics for K-12 Teachers A professional development course designed to help K-12 educators understand AI fundamentals and learn strategies for teaching AI concepts safely and effectively in classrooms.
- Youth AI Safety Institute A research and standards body combining rigorous research, clear standards, and independent evaluation to ensure AI systems are designed with childhood development in mind.
- AI Risk Assessments Expert evaluations of AI systems and products assessing risks to children, including analysis of AI features in platforms like Google Search AI Overview.
- Privacy Program (with Common Sense Privacy Seal) Initiative offering privacy evaluations of educational technology products and the Common Sense Privacy Seal certification for products meeting privacy standards.
- Digital Citizenship Quizzes Auto-graded quizzes with 4-6 questions in varied formats (multiple choice, drag-and-drop) integrated with Google Classroom for delivery and reporting; includes class and individual student reports for teachers.
- Family Engagement Resources Resources for families including early-childhood and middle/high school workshops, AI Literacy Toolkit for Families, Carpool Conversations, and Parent Webinars to support digital literacy at home.
- Research Publications Research reports on children's media use, AI impact on youth, and family technology habits including studies on teens and AI, pornography/deepfakes, and EU family attitudes on AI.
- Advocacy Programs Policy advocacy initiatives pushing for laws protecting children, holding tech companies accountable, and putting children's well-being at the center of digital policy.
Quantifiable outcome
- 124 million households reached with ratings and guidance
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use common sense
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
common sense technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
common sense partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- ApplecoreApple TV integration displaying Common Sense Media ratings and reviews of movies and TV shows across Apple TV experiences, including dedicated Common Sense Media room with curated collections for families. Apple Education partnership provides digital citizenship resources through Apple Education Community.
- Charter Communications (Spectrum)coreCommon Sense Media ratings and reviews of movies and TV shows available in the Spectrum TV app and across Xumo platforms, reaching Charter's second-largest cable operator customer base.
- ComcastcoreRatings and reviews accessible within Comcast's X1, Xumo Streambox, Xumo TV platforms, Xfinity.com, and Xfinity Stream app. Partnership extends to syndication partners including Cox, Rogers, Shaw, and Videotron.
- CoxcoreRatings integrated in Cox's Contour 2 platform. Parental guidance resources power Cox Digital Academy as part of low-cost broadband program Connect2Compete.
- Fandango at HomemajorCommon Sense Media ratings and reviews integrated into Fandango at Home streaming service with dedicated hub and curated collections for families.
- NearpodcoreCommon Sense K-12 curriculum available as ready-to-teach interactive lessons through Nearpod's 21st Century Readiness Program for classrooms, schools, and districts, providing real-time checks for understanding.
- Project Zero (Harvard Graduate School of Education)coreFoundational partner since 2007 when Common Sense first developed Digital Citizenship Curriculum. Current initiative 'Educating with Digital Dilemmas' researches ethical tensions of connected life and shapes curriculum development.
- AT&TcoreCollaboration on digital citizenship initiatives including 'Digital Connections' video series for tweens, teens, and parents developed with AT&T and Public Library Association. Resources available on AT&T ScreenReady and Secure Family app.
- TikTokcoreCommon Sense Media provides expert child development-informed human content evaluation for TikTok's Under 13 experience with additional safeguards and privacy protections. Partnership expanded to TikTok's STEM feed for educational value review.
- Aura (Aura Parents)majorCollaboration to bring families meaningful insights into kids' online behaviors. Aura's kids' online safety and wellbeing app combines traditional parental controls with new safety features developed with clinical psychologists, sharing Common Sense insights.
- Infosec Institute (Cengage Group)majorLaunched 'K-12 Digital Citizenship' series within Infosec IQ security awareness training platform, bringing age-appropriate cybersecurity, privacy, and digital citizenship curriculum to classrooms nationwide.
- PlexmajorCommon Sense Media age and quality ratings displayed on Plex title detail pages, with additional review details including ratings rationale and parent/kid reviews for Plex Pass subscribers.
- TargetmajorParental Guide tab on Target.com product detail pages for books, DVDs, and video games. Editorial picks and curated destinations featured across Target.com and in select stores.
- VIZIOmajorCommon Sense Media ratings and reviews available across VIZIO OS and VIZIO WatchFree+ platforms for HDTV users.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights7 records
common sense competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Family Online Safety Institute: Nonprofit focused on helping parents and caregivers keep kids safe online through research, resources, and industry collaboration; the most direct US peer in mission, audience (parents/families), and advocacy posture.
- ConnectSafely: Nonprofit providing education, resources, and policy work on safe, responsible technology use for youth; highly comparable as a fellow parent/educator-facing safety nonprofit with advocacy component.
- iKeepSafe: Nonprofit delivering digital citizenship curriculum, privacy evaluations, and a privacy certification program for ed-tech - directly comparable product mix (curriculum + privacy seal) and audience.
Emerging players
- CyberWise: Digital literacy nonprofit offering no-cost programs for parents, educators, and youth on online safety and digital citizenship - smaller in scale but overlapping audience and curriculum offerings.
Regional players
- Internet Matters: UK-based nonprofit helping families and educators navigate online safety, with similar mission, hub-style resource model, and policy advocacy focus - the closest international analog, especially given Common Sense's UK subsidiary.
- Childnet International: UK charity working with children, families, schools, and policymakers on online safety and digital citizenship; comparable in education-plus-advocacy positioning and target audiences (children, educators, families).
Broad incumbents
- National PTA: Largest US child-advocacy organization for parents and families; overlapping family/educator audience, policy advocacy on child welfare, and education resource distribution, though broader in scope.
- PBS Kids: Public-media children's brand providing educational content and parental guidance resources, with similar media-evaluation role for families; broader entertainment focus but direct overlap on family-facing content guidance.
Others
- Common Sense Education (sister brand): Common Sense Media's own K-12 division; not a true peer, but the brand sibling that anchors the educator side of the business and serves as the structural template for any spin-out.
- NetSmartz: NCMEC program delivering free digital citizenship and online safety education for kids and teens; adjacent thematically as a sibling safety-education resource distributed through schools.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
common sense social profiles
Digital presencecommon sense compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
common sense financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
common sense leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
common sense subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
common sense funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
common sense M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about common sense
What does common sense do?
Common Sense Media is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces expert, age-based ratings and reviews of movies, TV shows, books, games, and apps, delivers a free K-12 digital literacy and citizenship curriculum to educators, conducts research on children's media use and AI safety, and advocates for child-protective technology policies. Its offerings are accessed through membership subscriptions, embedded media-platform integrations, and partnerships with schools and foundations.
Is common sense a public or private company?
common sense is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was common sense founded?
common sense was founded in 2007.
Where is common sense based?
common sense is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does common sense make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership and Donations are the primary driver. The others are foundation and Philanthropic Grants and corporate Partnerships.
Who are common sense's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Family Online Safety Institute, ConnectSafely and iKeepSafe. CyberWise is listed as an emerging player. Regional players are Internet Matters and Childnet International. Broad incumbents are National PTA and PBS Kids. Others are Common Sense Education (sister brand) and NetSmartz.
Does common sense have an API?
No public API is recorded for common sense.
What industry is common sense in?
common sense's product category is Children's Media Ratings and Digital Literacy Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABADAH, Educational/Instructional Public Media Services (Schools, Distance Learning), with a secondary code of MPABAKAL, Family Co-Viewing Educational Channels. Its NAICS code is 516 and its SIC code is 7990.