FAQs

Ripple Suicide Prevention Charity was founded by Alice Hendy MBE following the loss of her brother Josh to suicide. After discovering that Josh had researched methods online, Alice set out to ensure that anyone conducting a similar search would be met with hope and support rather than harmful content.

Ripple technology launched in 2020 and has since grown to protect over 1.9 million users across more than 50 countries.

To date, Ripple products have intercepted over 100,000 harmful searches and are credited with directly saving 32 lives. They are trusted by over 700 organisations across all sectors, including NHS trusts, universities, FTSE-listed companies and government bodies, and are active in more than 50 countries and territories.

Ripple technology is a suite of award-winning digital crisis intervention products that detect harmful online searches and website visits, then presents the person with a calm, evidence-based message of hope and signposts them to localised 24/7 mental health support.

Ripple Suicide Prevention is a registered charity (No. 1194331).

Commercial products are provided by Ripple Online Safety Limited (Co. No. 15249522). Subscription income funds free access for families, educators and registered charities.

The semicolon forms the ‘i’ in our logo to mark the internationally recognised symbol of surviving suicide.

The symbol was chosen for what a semicolon means in writing: the author could have stopped, but chose to keep going.

We use it to say the same to anyone who has ever reached their lowest point. Even there, you have the strength to continue your story. It is not over. Keep going.

We offer three complementary products:

• Ripple BrowserShield: a browser extension installed on managed laptops and desktops. It detects harmful search engine queries and visits to known harmful websites. Free for individuals, schools, colleges, universities and registered charities.
• Ripple NetworkShield: a network-level solution deployed via DNS, cloud proxy or on-site appliance. It protects every device connected to your network, including personal phones and unmanaged devices. Available on subscription to organisations.
• Ripple MobileShield: an app deployed via MDM (e.g. Intune or JAMF) that protects corporate phones and tablets wherever they are, whether on the office network, mobile data or at home. Available on subscription to organisations.

The right product depends on what you want to protect and how your devices are managed:

• To protect managed laptops and desktops: BrowserShield is the starting point. It installs in minutes via GPO, Intune, JAMF or browser management.
• To protect every device on your network, including personal phones and visitor devices: NetworkShield covers all devices connected to your Wi-Fi or network without any per-device installation.
• To protect corporate mobile devices off-network: MobileShield extends protection to managed phones and tablets via your MDM platform, wherever the device is.

Many organisations deploy two or all three products. NetworkShield covers all on-network devices (for example staff BYOD or customers within a stadium) while BrowserShield adds search intent detection on managed machines and off-network protection. MobileShield works alongside both without conflict.

Not sure? Speak to our team and we will recommend the right combination for your setup.

BrowserShield is completely free for individuals and families, schools, colleges, sixth forms, universities and registered charities. For these organisations and for individual users there is no cost, no contract and no time limit.

BrowserShield, NetworkShield and MobileShield are available to businesses and public-sector organisations on a subscription basis. Subscription fees help fund free access for non-commercial users.

Yes, and many organisations do. BrowserShield, NetworkShield and MobileShield are designed to work together without conflict.

When a MobileShield-protected device connects to a NetworkShield-protected network, both remain active independently. There is no double filtering and no configuration change required. BrowserShield on a managed laptop continues to function normally whether the device is on the corporate network or not.

NetworkShield protects all devices while they are connected to your network. MobileShield extends that protection to managed mobile devices when they are off-network. If your organisation issues corporate phones or tablets to staff who spend time away from the office, MobileShield closes the gap. Both products can run simultaneously without conflict.

Yes, Ripple For Business offers discounts for public-sector organisations. These are discussed during the sales process and vary depending on the product selected (such as BrowserShield, NetworkShield or MobileShield) and the contract duration.

Standard subscriptions are for 12-month periods. Multi-year arrangements are available on request and may attract preferential pricing. Speak to our team to discuss your requirements.

BrowserShield subscriptions for businesses are priced per machine on a monthly basis, billed annually. Pricing scales with volume. Please contact our team for a quote.

Discounts are available for public-sector organisations. Contact us for more information and a quote.

A one-off fee applies for content customisation.

BrowserShield is free for individuals, schools, colleges, sixth forms, universities and registered charities.

NetworkShield is priced per access point (for DNS/Wi-Fi configurations) on an annual or multi-year subscription. Please contact our team to discuss your network size and configuration.

Discounts are available for public-sector organisations.

MobileShield is priced per enrolled device on an annual subscription. Contact our team for a quote based on your device count and MDM platform.

Discounts are available for public-sector organisations.

The detection method varies by product.

BrowserShield holds a keyword and website library locally on each device. It monitors search engine queries and web page visits in real time. When a search or URL matches a harmful term, an intervention is triggered. The library is updated automatically every 24 hours.

NetworkShield in DNS mode monitors DNS requests and intercepts attempts to reach known harmful websites. In cloud proxy mode with decryption enabled, it can also read search engine queries as they are typed, enabling detection of harmful search intent.

MobileShield uses the same cloud proxy and DNS technology as NetworkShield, delivered as an app on corporate mobile devices via a per-app VPN proxy.

A calmly designed intervention screen appears on the user’s device. It does not alarm or shame. It presents a message of hope and provides links to relevant 24/7 helplines and mental health resources appropriate to the user’s location, covering both immediate crisis support and longer-term services.

The person can choose to engage with those resources or close the screen. Ripple does not block access to content outright. It provides a moment of care and a clear route to help.

No. Ripple products function as crisis intervention technology, not as content blockers. They present a message of hope and offer support resources. The individual retains the choice to engage with those resources or continue their search. This is a deliberate design decision: our goal is to offer help, not to restrict access in a way that could feel punitive or drive people to find harmful content elsewhere.

No. Ripple products serve as a last-line safety net and signposting solution. They are designed to provide a moment of intervention and to connect people with mental health support. They complement, but don’t replace, clinical services, Employee Assistance Programmes, Mental Health First Aiders or any other professional mental health provision.

If the person closes the intervention screen and continues their search, it may trigger again if they visit a harmful website or perform another harmful search. Once dismissed it is totally invisible and continues to monitor for further harmful searches and websites.

No. BrowserShield is a very lightweight extension with no measurable impact on device performance. It does not transmit data in real time, which also means it adds no network overhead.

In DNS mode, NetworkShield can detect and intercept visits to known harmful websites, but it cannot detect harmful search queries because that requires reading the content of HTTPS traffic. The recommended way to close this gap is to deploy BrowserShield on managed machines alongside NetworkShield DNS. The two products are designed to work together in this configuration.

No. MobileShield is available exclusively for corporate and MDM-managed devices. It cannot be installed on a personal phone or tablet. Organisations wanting to protect unmanaged personal devices connecting to their network should consider NetworkShield, which covers all devices on the network regardless of whether they are corporate-managed.

Yes. This is one of MobileShield’s core strengths. Protection is active on mobile data, home broadband and any other internet connection, not only when the device is on the corporate network or Wi-Fi. A field operative, remote worker or travelling employee is protected at all times.

No. MobileShield and NetworkShield are designed to work together and will not conflict. When a MobileShield-protected device connects to a NetworkShield-protected network, both remain active independently. There is no double filtering, no performance impact and no configuration change required.

All Ripple products cover self-harm and suicide as a core, always-on category. This applies globally and cannot be disabled.

BrowserShield additionally covers the following categories for UK and Ireland users, with global rollout underway: self-harm and suicide, alcohol misuse, autism, bereavement, baby loss and infertility, civilian adaption, construction, divorce and separation, domestic abuse, drug misuse, eating disorders, financial struggles, gambling addiction, grooming and sexual exploitation, LGBTQIA+, pet loss.

NetworkShield and MobileShield cover self-harm and suicide globally plus over 90 additional categories, including illegal and illicit content. Individual categories can be enabled or disabled to suit your organisation.

These categories have been selected in close collaboration with more than 30 advisory board members based on evidence of their links to suicide risk.

The library is developed and maintained by the Ripple team in collaboration with clinical advisors, lived experience panels and mental health professionals. It is reviewed on an ongoing basis and continuously expanded through the Ripple AI project, which actively scans the internet for emerging harmful content, new terminology and evolving online behaviours linked to suicide risk.

The AI system identifies candidate terms and websites for inclusion, then applies automated paraphrasing and keyword validation to assess intent, context and potential for harm before any new entry is approved. This means the library is not dependent solely on human-reported suggestions or reactive updates, it is proactively growing in response to how harmful content actually appears and spreads online.

For BrowserShield, updates are pushed automatically to the extension every 24 hours and applied locally on the device. No action is required from users or IT teams.

For NetworkShield and MobileShield, the harmful website and content database is maintained centrally in the cloud and updated continuously.

If you believe a term or website should be added to the library, you can still submit a suggestion via our website. All submissions are reviewed by our advisory team before inclusion.

Our keyword and website library is developed with clinical oversight specifically to minimise false positives, meaning searches that trigger an intervention when no harmful intent was present.

For BrowserShield, the local detection is based on specific harmful terms and known harmful websites rather than broad keyword matching, reducing the likelihood of benign searches triggering the tool. If a term is triggering incorrectly, you can report this to our team and it will be reviewed.

For NetworkShield and MobileShield, the broader category configuration means organisations can disable entire categories that are not relevant to their context, reducing the chance of unwanted activations.

A false positive is unlikely to cause harm: the user simply sees a supportive message and can close the screen immediately.

Yes, with some exceptions. Self-harm and suicide protection is always on for all products and cannot be disabled.

For NetworkShield and MobileShield, organisations can enable or disable any of the 90+ additional content categories to match their context. Configuration changes are made centrally and applied across all covered devices.

For BrowserShield, organisations can request to opt out of specific extended categories by contacting our team. Please email info@ripplesuicideprevention.com to discuss your requirements.

For BrowserShield deployed via GPO or MDM on managed machines: no. The extension is pushed silently and requires no user action or consent at the point of installation.

For the free individual installation of BrowserShield, users visit the browser extension store and install it themselves.

For NetworkShield: no user action is required. Protection applies to all devices on the network automatically once the service is configured.

For MobileShield: no end-user action is required. The app is pushed by your MDM platform as part of the standard device configuration.

For BrowserShield: your IT team to manage the browser extension deployment. No other infrastructure changes are required.

For NetworkShield DNS: your network administrator or IT team to update DNS settings.

For NetworkShield cloud proxy or on-site appliance: your network and IT teams, and potentially your security team depending on your organisation’s protocols around traffic inspection.

For MobileShield: your IT team managing the MDM platform.

For all products, we recommend involving your HR or communications team if you plan to communicate the deployment to staff.

BrowserShield is a browser extension available for free for home use.

You can install it in a minute on your laptop or desktop computer via the Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera or Firefox extension store. Access the download links and video tutorials here: https://www.ripplesuicideprevention.com/information/install

BrowserShield is deployed as a browser extension on managed laptops and desktops. There are three primary deployment routes:

• GPO (Group Policy Object): force-install the extension across Chrome and Edge via Group Policy. The most common option for Windows-managed estates. Takes approximately 10 minutes.
• Browser management: use Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 admin controls to push the extension to enrolled browsers.
• MDM platform: compatible with Microsoft Intune, JAMF and other third-party Mobile Device Management tools.

Our team can provide technical support through testing, pilot programmes and full rollouts. Once deployed, no further action is required: the extension updates automatically every 24 hours.

Yes. BrowserShield can be installed on a single machine via the Chrome, Edge, Safari, Opera or Firefox extension store. This is the same process used by individuals installing it for personal use. For managed organisations, deployment via GPO or MDM is more practical for large-scale rollout.

For individually installed extensions, a user can uninstall BrowserShield. Where BrowserShield has been deployed via GPO or browser management as a force-installed extension, users are typically unable to remove it without administrator permissions. There is no notification sent to Ripple team or to the organisation when an extension is uninstalled.

NetworkShield is available in three configurations:

• DNS service: a lightweight change to your DNS settings that redirects requests to known harmful websites. No hardware or traffic decryption required. Quick to configure.
• Cloud proxy: traffic is routed through Ripple’s cloud-based proxy infrastructure for deeper inspection. No on-site hardware required. Decryption is optional.
• On-site network appliance: a physical device installed on your premises that can perform full traffic decryption and search intent detection.

All configurations require a static IP address for authentication to the service. Our team will advise on the best option for your infrastructure during the onboarding process.

The on-site appliance and cloud proxy have the capability to decrypt HTTPS network traffic, which allows NetworkShield to read search engine queries and detect harmful search intent at the moment it happens. This decryption capability is optional and not all organisations choose to activate it. When decryption is not enabled, these modes operate in the same way as the DNS service, detecting access to known harmful websites rather than search intent. The DNS service operates at the domain level only, without decryption. DNS is the simplest to deploy. All three modes deliver the same Ripple technology intervention experience to users.

NetworkShield authenticates your organisation to the service using your static IP address. This ensures that the service can distinguish between your network and others and apply your specific configuration, including any category customisations. If your organisation does not have a static IP address, your IT team or Internet service provider can advise on obtaining one.

Yes. NetworkShield can be configured for multi-site organisations. Each site will typically require its own static IP address for authentication. Our team can advise on the best configuration for your specific infrastructure during the onboarding process.

MobileShield is deployed as an app on corporate and MDM-managed phones and tablets. It is pushed to enrolled devices through your existing Mobile Device Management platform, such as Microsoft Intune or JAMF. No action is required from end users.

MobileShield is available exclusively for MDM-managed corporate devices. It cannot be installed on personal devices. The app runs silently in the background once installed.

That is at your organisation’s discretion. The app runs silently in the background and has no visible interface in normal use. Many organisations choose to communicate the deployment to staff as part of a wider mental health initiative, which can itself help reduce stigma. Others prefer a discreet installation.

No. None of Ripple products track or monitor individual users in any way.

BrowserShield processes searches locally on the device. It does not send search queries, browsing history or any personally identifiable information to Ripple Suicide Prevention, Ripple For Business or any third party.

NetworkShield and MobileShield analyse traffic for the sole purpose of identifying harmful content signals. Traffic content is not logged, stored or used for any other purpose, and no data is retained that could identify an individual.

Ripple products cannot determine who triggered an intervention or what specific device was used.

Ripple collects anonymised, non-personally-identifiable statistical data on activations and phrases for the purpose of improving the tool and understanding patterns of harmful online activity at a population level. This data cannot be used to identify any individual.

For BrowserShield: no user personally identifiable metrics or browsing data are transmitted from the device. The keyword and website library is held and processed locally.

For NetworkShield and MobileShield: traffic is analysed in real time in the cloud. No traffic content is stored after the inspection.

All data is stored within the UK. Where we use cloud suppliers, those suppliers are required to demonstrate compliance with UK GDPR data protection standards. Full details are available in Ripple Privacy Policy.

For BrowserShield: no. All matching is performed locally on the device using a library that is downloaded and stored on the machine. No search terms are transmitted externally.

For NetworkShield and MobileShield in cloud proxy mode: traffic passes through our cloud infrastructure for real-time analysis. The content of that traffic is inspected but not stored or logged beyond the moment of inspection. In DNS mode, only domain-level information is processed and no search content is transmitted.

Yes. Ripple products are designed with data minimisation and privacy by default as core principles. They do not collect personally identifiable information, which means the standard grounds for data subject rights under UK GDPR (access, erasure, rectification) do not apply to product usage data, as there is no data to access, erase or amend.

Ripple processes anonymised statistical data under legitimate interest. Full details of Ripple products’ lawful bases and data practices are available in the Privacy Policy at ripplesuicideprevention.com/utility/privacy.

Anonymised, non-personally-identifiable activation data may be shared with external data scientists and mental health professionals for the purpose of improving Ripple’s tools.

For NetworkShield in DNS mode: data is shared between Ripple, our network technology partner Netsweeper, and the deploying organisation at an aggregate level only.

Ripple will never sell personal information to third parties for marketing purposes. Ripple may share information if required to do so by law or by a regulator, or where there is a suspected threat to life.

Ripple holds ISO 27001 (information security management) and ISO 9001 (quality management) certification. Ripple is also Cyber Essentials accredited and is subject to regular independent penetration testing. Full details are available on request.

No. BrowserShield is a lightweight browser extension developed with security as a first priority and is regularly penetration tested. It does not open additional network ports or connections, does not interfere with existing content filtering or security tools, and does not collect data that could be exploited if intercepted.

NetworkShield and MobileShield operate on existing network infrastructure and MDM frameworks. They do not introduce new attack surfaces and are independently penetration tested.

Yes. Ripple is designed to complement, not replace, existing security and content filtering tools.

BrowserShield operates at the browser level, one step before network-level content filters. The two work in parallel without conflict.

NetworkShield DNS integrates alongside existing network filtering. NetworkShield in cloud proxy or appliance mode can be configured to work with your existing security infrastructure.

MobileShield uses a per-app VPN profile that does not affect other device security or VPN configurations.

The Online Safety Act places duties on social media platforms, search services and content providers. Deploying Ripple products can help organisations demonstrate proactive steps to address online harms, particularly in education settings covered by safeguarding obligations.

For employers, Ripple products contribute to a documented approach to employee online safety and mental health. For schools and colleges, Ripple products supports compliance with statutory safeguarding duties by providing an active intervention layer for harmful content.

Our in-house advisory team can discuss how deployment fits within your specific regulatory context. We recommend seeking independent legal advice on your specific obligations under the Act.

Yes, in a meaningful and demonstrable way. Employers have a common law and statutory duty of care towards employees, which the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 extends to mental health. Deploying Ripple products demonstrates active, documented steps to protect staff from harmful online content and to provide support at the moment of crisis.

Ripple is not a substitute for a comprehensive mental health strategy. It is most effective when deployed alongside Mental Health First Aider networks, Employee Assistance Programmes and clear mental health policies. Together, these constitute a robust, auditable duty of care framework.

For education settings, Ripple BrowserShield contributes to your safeguarding duty under Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE), the statutory guidance reviewed annually by the Department for Education (DfE), alongside the DfE’s filtering and monitoring standards for schools and colleges.

Ripple products should not be evaluated in the same way as other technology investments, and the number of activations is not an indicator of value.

If Ripple products are never triggered in your organisation, that is the best outcome: none of your people have been in crisis on a covered device during that period. If it is triggered, it has provided a potentially life-saving intervention.

In the same way that you would not cancel a fire suppression system because there had not been a fire, Ripple products’ value lies in the protection it provides, not in how frequently it is called upon. It is a last-line safety net.

For NetworkShield and MobileShield, aggregate activation data over time can provide a useful indicator of whether the tool is actively covering activity on your network.

No, for any Ripple product. Ripple technology cannot notify your organisation when an individual triggers an intervention, because this would require identifying that individual, which Ripple technology doesn’t do. The intervention is between the product and the person in crisis. Notification to a manager or administrator could undermine the trust that makes the tool effective.

BrowserShield does not provide organisational reporting. Because it does not collect personally identifiable information and processes searches locally on the device, it cannot report on activations within your organisation. This is a deliberate design decision to protect user dignity and privacy.

If BrowserShield has never triggered within your organisation, this means your people have not been in crisis on a managed device during that period. That is the best possible outcome.

NetworkShield and MobileShield can provide a high-level organisational report showing the total number of activations within your organisation and the content categories that triggered them. Activation trends over time can also be reported.

What cannot be reported: which individual triggered an activation, which specific device was used, or the precise search query that led to an intervention. This is not a limitation; it is a fundamental privacy protection.

If NetworkShield or MobileShield has never triggered within your organisation, this means your people have not been in crisis on a managed device during that period. That is the best possible outcome.

Speak to our team to discuss reporting requirements during the onboarding process.

The visual design, illustrations and core messaging of the intervention screen are fixed and cannot be changed. This is an evidence-based decision: the current design has been developed and tested with clinical advisors and people with lived experience.

For all products, organisations can request changes to the support resources and helplines shown on the screen, for example to add your own Employee Assistance Programme details or replace default services with locally relevant ones. This is subject to Ripple For Business review process and a one-off fee.

For NetworkShield and MobileShield, content category configuration can also be adjusted.

Yes. BrowserShield includes a snooze function that can be enabled for specific users who need to conduct research in these areas. This is managed on a case-by-case basis and can be arranged by contacting info@ripplesuicideprevention.com.

For NetworkShield and MobileShield, similar bypass arrangements can be made for clinical staff, safeguarding leads, researchers or communications teams. Contact our team to discuss your requirements.

This is at the discretion of your organisation. Ripple products run silently in the background and have no visible interface in normal use. Many organisations choose to communicate the deployment to staff as part of a wider mental health initiative, which can itself help reduce stigma and demonstrate that the organisation takes wellbeing seriously. Others prefer discreet deployment. There is no right or wrong approach. If you choose to communicate the deployment, our team can provide templates to support both internal and external communications.

Yes. BrowserShield is free for individuals. Any employee can install it on their personal computer, laptop or home device at no cost, and we actively encourage organisations to promote this. This extends protection beyond managed work devices to the home environment, where harmful searches are also common.

Yes. The 90+ additional content categories can be enabled or disabled to match your organisation’s requirements. Self-harm and suicide protection is always on and cannot be disabled. Configuration changes are applied centrally through your Ripple account and pushed to all enrolled devices.

Ripple technology not a wellbeing or mindfulness tool. It is a crisis intervention tool that operates at a fundamentally different point in the risk spectrum.

Your current wellbeing offerings support people who are managing their mental health day to day. Ripple technology is for people who are in acute crisis and turning to a search engine at their most vulnerable moment. Those individuals may never engage with a wellbeing platform, EAP or Mental Health First Aider, but they may still conduct a harmful search.

Ripple technology adds a last-line safety net that no other wellbeing product provides. It doesn’t replace what you already have; it fills the gap beneath it.

Yes, and this is well evidenced. A person in crisis does not think about which device they are using. Our data shows that harmful searches of this nature happen on work devices, at home and on the move.

Across Ripple global deployments, 11:00 on a Tuesday is consistently the busiest time for activations, demonstrating clearly that crisis does not wait for personal time or personal devices.

Harmful internet use has been found in 26% of deaths in under-20s (Samaritans). Every 90 minutes in the UK, a life is lost to suicide. No organisation is exempt from this reality, regardless of sector or workforce profile.

Deploying Ripple products provides a documented, active measure to protect employees or students from harmful online content and to provide support at the moment of crisis. It is a tangible step that can be referenced in health and safety audits, wellbeing strategies and regulatory assessments.

Ripple prodcuts are not a substitute for legal advice on your specific duty of care obligations. We recommend consulting your legal advisors on how Ripple products fit within your overall health, safety and wellbeing framework.

Yes. Alice Hendy MBE, Ripple Suicide Prevention founder and CEO, is an experienced keynote speaker and TEDx presenter. She speaks on suicide prevention, mental health in the workplace, digital safety and her personal story. To book Alice, please complete the speaker request form at ripplesuicideprevention.com/information/book-alice and a member of our team will be in touch.

There are multiple ways to support our mission.

Support Ripple Suicide Prevention Charity:
• Donate: financial donations to our charity help us keep BrowserShield free for families, schools and charities. Visit ripplesuicideprevention.com/get-involved/donations.
• Fundraise: organise an event or challenge in support of Ripple Suicide Prevention Charity.

Support protection for all workplaces:
• Sign the pledge: sign our Working Nine-Alive Pledge or Hospitality Pledge to publicly commit to creating a mentally safe workplace.
• Spread the word: encourage your sector, network and supply chain to keep their staff safe online with Ripple technology.
• Encourage home installation: promote free BrowserShield installation to your employees for use on personal devices.

We welcome suggestions from users, clinicians, educators and partner organisations. If you believe a search term or website should be added to Ripple detection library, please submit it via the Search Suggestions page at ripplesuicideprevention.com/get-involved/search-suggestions. All suggestions are reviewed by our clinical advisory team.