Emotional Prince Harry gets choked up as he meets with bereaved families
He has long championed online safety for young people and childrenPrince Harry became emotional as he met with bereaved families who are supporting a lawsuit against two of the world’s largest tech companies, Meta and YouTube.
For some time, Prince Harry and his wife, Meghan Markle, have been raising awareness of the dangers of social media. They have actively campaigned to highlight the negative impacts that platforms can have on the mental health of children, young people and their families.
This week, the Duke of Sussex, 41, spoke with families who had gathered after the start of a trial in California. The trial will examine whether Instagram and YouTube damage young people’s mental health.
Meta, the owner of Instagram, and YouTube are accused of creating platforms that are addictive by design, claims they dispute.
Prince Harry gets choked up during meeting with families
As reported by the BBC, on Wednesday, Prince Harry gathered with families. He told them: “We’ve said time and time again that this is a David versus Goliath situation.
“I’ve been in some similar situations myself – vastly different – but when you’re sitting in court and if you have that feeling of just overwhelming emotion, because you can’t believe that the people on the other side are saying what they’re saying – that by the very nature of defending what they’re defending, the lies that they are stating, is devaluing life, is devaluing your children’s lives – if that brings stuff up for you, it is totally normal. Do not feel ashamed.”
Thank you for doing everything that you’ve done.
He continued: “None of you should be here,” as he became choked up.
Clearing his throat, Harry added: “Thank you for doing everything that you’ve done. Thank you for telling your stories over and over again.
“Truth, justice and accountability: those are the three things that will come from this.”
Harry and Meghan’s work on raising awareness of social media dangers
For some time, Harry and Meghan, 44, have supported families affected by online harm. They have also championed creating a safer online world for children and young people.
In a new statement on their Sussex website, the duke and duchess have discussed the trial.
It read: “Through their philanthropic efforts in the online harms space spanning six years of dedicated learning, listening, and advocacy, Prince Harry and Meghan, today, recognize the pivotal moment taking place this week as it pertains to families seeking truth, justice and safeguards for children and communities around the world.
“Families devastated by online harm have waited too long for this moment.”
They mentioned the growing community of The Parents’ Network. The initiative was launched, with the support of Harry and Meghan’s Archewell organisation, for parents and caregivers “bound by shared experiences of internet harm”.
The statement continued: “This week, social media companies are starting to face accountability across the world.
“In Los Angeles, Meta and Google face the first jury trial examining whether social media companies deliberately designed their platforms to addict children. Hundreds of families are bringing similar claims, arguing that features like infinite scroll and manipulative algorithms were built with profits, not child safety, as the priority.”
Harry and Meghan statement on social media harm
In addition, the statement concluded: “Enforcement remains complicated. Age verification must work without creating new privacy risks. Young people will seek workarounds.
“Governments must put safeguards in place not just on the part of the companies but on the part of their own duty to human rights and safety. No single country’s law solves a global problem.”
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Meanwhile, it detailed the next “real test” which is whether platforms and all new technology companies will design “with children’s wellbeing as a first principle”.
The statement ended with the couple saying: “We invite you to support these brave families and parents who have paid the ultimate cost in losing a child, yet who still stand strong and ready to fight for the rights of other families, championing their efforts as they advocate for the protection of all children online.”
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