‘It’s unacceptable, it’s wrong’: Prince Harry calls for change to protect children online

The Duke of Sussex has said life is “better” when spent off social media.

Prince Harry spoke out as he and wife Meghan unveiled a memorial in New York dedicated to children who have lost their lives because of the harms of the internet.

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have spoken out at a memorial about the work to be done to better protect children online.Credit: GC Images

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, the Prince said: “Life is better off of social media. I say that as a parent, and I say that as someone who has spoken to many of the kids here tonight who aren’t on social media because they have lost a brother or a sister to social media.

“But clearly enough is not being done. Some of the stories here are truly harrowing.”

The installation unveiled by the couple on Thursday in Manhattan is made up of 50 smartphones that each display the picture of a child who died “due to the harms of social media”.

The Duke, who set up the Parents’ Network with Meghan as part of the couple’s charitable Archewell Foundation, described some of the stories that made up the memorial as “full-blown crime scenes”.

He said: “Having done this for the last three years and being aware of it for the last five years, you think you’ve heard the worst of it until nights like this here in America, some of these stories are … full-blown crime scenes.”

The children’s images were shared by parents who are part of the Parents’ Network, which the couple launched last August as a resource for parents whose children have experienced harm on social media. The Sussexes attended a private vigil with the parents on Wednesday night.

Prince Harry added that technology companies were “getting away with it” by arguing they did not need to disclose information to families in the UK because of privacy considerations.

“You are telling a parent, you are telling a dad and a mum that they can’t have the details of what their kid was up to on social media because of the privacy of their kid … It’s wrong,” he said.

Also speaking to the BBC, the Duchess said: “No matter how polarised the world is, or what people may or may not agree on, one thing we can all agree on is that children should be safe … and I think tonight these stories solidify that.”

Asked what she would like to see change, she said: “I think for those who do choose to be online and to be in social media as adults … that we get to set the example and really put as much good and joy into the world as we can.”

The Duchess announced her return to social media, where she has amassed 2.8 million followers on Instagram, at the beginning of the year.

She has since shared posts advertising her commercial brand, As Ever, and her podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder, as well as childhood pictures and a Valentine’s tribute to her husband.

When she rejoined the platform, it was said she planned to “authentically share moments of joy and inspiration from her life”.

The Duchess launched the @‌Meghan Instagram handle in the summer of 2022, but had never used it until January this year.

Since then, she says, she has been committed to promoting a “joyful and thoughtful” approach to online engagement that inspires positivity.

While she recognises that there is still work to be done on social media, she is confident that by returning to Instagram, she can “lead by example” in demonstrating how it can be used for good, a source said at the time.

On Thursday, the Duchess said: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that.

“I think in many ways what we see through these parents is the hope and the promise of something better … their resilience is an example.”

Speaking about their two children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, Prince Harry said: “We’re just grateful that our kids are too young to be on social media at this point.”

Asked about what will happen when they are no longer able to avoid it, he added: “One of the reasons why we’re doing [this] is because us – collectively with all these parents – want to make sure that things are changed so that no more parents, no more kids are lost to social media.

“It’s unacceptable, it’s wrong. It’s no longer a secret and yet these companies are given this power to be able to conceal the truth from parents as to why their kid took their life.”

The couple have previously urged global leaders to address protections for young people in the digital sphere with “urgency”.

The Telegraph UK

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