Prince Harry says he is against the social media ban, but calls on greater scrutiny
The Duke of Sussex has weighed in on social media bans after Australia’s landmark legislation, as he revealed why he’ll never leave the US.
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Prince Harry says the move to ban social media for children “does not make sense” and would lead to family arguments and school bullying.
The father-of-two said while he doesn’t support a ban, he did call for social media companies to be subject to greater transparency and accountability.
“(Social media has) already been intentionally created to be addictive”, he said, so banning it or removing it “creates all sort of problems”.
“When parents ban children from social media, it causes a massive falling out and the child could be bullied by classmates for not having it.”
The Duke of Sussex said he instead would like to work with shareholders of social media companies to discuss safeguarding for children.
“I would welcome the chance to sit down with the shareholders, because their shareholders are the ones that really are in control,” he said.
“I’m sure they (shareholders) are parents, and I’m sure hopefully they would agree that kids need to be kept safe.”
Last week, Australia passed a landmark law banning anyone under the age of 16 from signing up.
The legislation, approved by parliament, orders social media firms to take “reasonable steps” to prevent young teens from having accounts.
The Duke also revealed he plans to remain in the US with his wife and children, as he focuses on being the “best husband and the best dad that I can be”.
“I very much enjoy living here and bringing up my kids here,” he said.
There are activities he can do with his children that he “undoubtedly wouldn’t be able to do in the UK”, he said, citing concerns about security.
HARRY AND WILLIAM AVOID JOINT APPEARANCE
Prince Harry and Prince William have sent separate messages to the winners of the Diana Awards as their fractured relationship shows no sign of healing.
Two hundred young people, spanning 45 countries, are receiving an award for social action or humanitarian efforts this year after a record number of nominations.
The Prince of Wales wrote a letter, praising the “extraordinary” recipients for their “kindness and compassion”.
“I am so proud of the impact every one of you has had on your communities and beyond,” Prince William said.
“You are driven by kindness and compassion and through this you are all changing the world for the better.
“At times, the world can feel an uncertain and unfamiliar place and I know many of you have had to work hard to overcome barriers to make positive change.
“Despite this, I am heartened to see what inspirational young people like you can achieve. I know my mother, in whose memory you receive the Diana Award today, would be immensely proud of you.
“I hope this award helps you to further champion your cause and support those around you. Thank-you for your dedication. You are all extraordinary.”
Harry, however, opted for a recorded video message which will be played during the virtual Diana Award ceremony on Thursday local time, as the charity marks its 25-year anniversary.
The Duke of Sussex will speak of how his mother’s view of the world still inspires him, while outlining the challenges the world faces including “systemic injustices”.
“My mother’s belief in the power of young people to drive positive change continues to inspire me,” Harry will say.
“No matter the challenges we face, whether it’s climate change, mental health or systemic injustices, her legacy and the efforts of young people to inspire further action in the world fill me with hope.”
“Sometimes the world’s problems can seem too big for any one person to tackle, but your efforts are a powerful reminder that we all have the potential to contribute to a fairer world.”
The royal brothers have had a fractured relationship which worsened after Harry levelled allegations at William and the Princess of Wales in his Netflix documentary and Spare autobiography.
HARRY SECURES POP STAR FOR THE INVICTUS GAMES
Prince Harry has secured pop star Katy Perry to sing at the opening night of his Invictus Games.
The 40-year-old is by far the most prominent star to attend the bi-annual event for disabled military veterans, which will also see Harry and Meghan among its attendees.
Perry and her partner, British actor Orlando Bloom, are close neighbours of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in Montecito, California.
The couple were guests at the third birthday celebration for Harry and Meghan’s daughter, Lilibet, held at their multimillion-dollar mansion.
The games, hosted in Vancouver and the ski resort of Whistler, mark the third time the couple has attended together, following appearances in Holland and Germany.
‘CORRUPTION’: BOMBSHELL FILM BLASTS HARRY AND MEGHAN
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been accused of dealings “bordering on corruption”, among other things, in a scathing new documentary titled Harry – The Lost Prince.
The film, which premiered on German television Tuesday night local time, is the work of award-winning filmmaker Ulrike Grunewald who spoke to sources ranging from the couple’s Californian neighbours to a veteran soldier who served at the same time as the Duke.
Montecito resident Richard Mineards queried the couple’s impact on the community.
“I personally don’t think that Meghan is an asset to our community,” he said.
“She doesn’t really go out or get involved with the community. Harry has to a certain extent, because he’s quite jolly … but Meghan doesn’t seem to get seen anywhere.”
Soldier Ben McBean, who served in Afghanistan and shared a flight home with Harry in 2008, condemned the choice to air disputes with his brother and father in public.
“I just thought, with him kind of whinging about his family and he was saying something about his brother pushing him over or something like that, I was just like, ‘Mate, just leave it out’. You and your brother had a little fisticuffs … but family’s family, you know,” said the former Royal Marine, who lost his left arm and right leg in a landmine blast.
But the pile-on doesn’t stop there.
Dai Davies, a former head of royal protection at London’s Metropolitan Police, lashed out at Harry for making himself a target with the release of his best-selling book Spare.
“For him to disclose, as he did, that he had killed a number of Taliban was, in my opinion, totally unwise, because I was aware, as indeed he was, that the Taliban and various groups had put a price on his head,” said Mr Davies.
“If you open your big mouth, as he has collectively, that book, not just on that, but given away all kinds of secrets, then it’s not surprising that some people might regard you as a potential target.”
The corruption claims came from royal expert Jack Royston, who said the couple was trading off their ties to the British monarchy while being “half in and half out” of the family.
“If you have a situation where Harry and Meghan are earning huge amounts of money in Hollywood trading off their reputations, but then they’re also bolstering their reputations by working for the Queen – they’re able to present themselves on the world stage as being these working members of the royal family who are also available for a price,” he said.
“That is a huge compromise to demand off the monarchy. If they were to be perceived to be promoting their commercial projects while representing the Queen, then that’s also … starting to border on corruption there because they should never be using the monarchy as a platform.”
HARRY AND MEGHAN PUT ON UNITED FRONT
Despite the bombshell documentary, Harry and Meghan are putting on a united front, sharing an intimate behind-the-scenes look at their year with People magazine.
The 80-second clip, set to Coldplay’s Sky Full of Stars, shows never-before-seen footage of the couple as they attended various events in Nigeria, Canada and Colombia.
The year-in-wrap piece ended with Harry telling supports: “Every single one of you inspire me, and you inspire us every single day. So please continue to be there to support each other.”
MEGHAN TO RETURN TO THE SCREEN
It comes as it’s revealed Meghan returns to her Hollywood roots, starring in her very on show on Netflix which will hit the small screen in 2025.
Page Six reports the actor turned Duchess will host a show focused on “cooking, gardening and entertaining” in “early 2025” according to a well-placed source.
The long-anticipated return to television is the latest offering from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as part of the five year A$150 million deal they inked with the streaming service in 2020.
It comes after their wildly successful 2022 documentary Meghan and Harry which told their version of events regarding the split from the royal family and the less watched Heart of Invictus documentary Harry launched in 2023.
Meghan shot to fame for her role as Rachel Zane in legal drama Suits which remains one of the most streamed shows of all time.
Fans were heartbroken after she left the show in 2017 at the end of season seven after she became engaged to Prince Harry.
Her character Rachel got her happily-ever-after as well, marrying on screen love interest Mike Ross who was played by Patrick J Adams.
AMERICAN RIVIERA ORCHARD SET TO LAUNCH
It will be a big year for Meghan in 2025 with the expected launch of her lifestyle brand American Riviera Orchard.
Meghan launched an exhaustive search for a CEO to head up the brand in 2024 interviewing numerous candidates before finally deciding to take the role herself the Daily Mail reported on Tuesday.
The decision comes amid the brand, which was soft launched in March, asking the US Patent Office for more time to pull together its trademark paperwork last week.
While the brand has not yet sold anything, fans have got a sneak peek of what’s in store thanks to Meghan gifting some of the upcoming range to her celebrity pals including Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner and model Chrissy Teigen.
Luxury offerings will include high-end jams and boutique dog biscuits.
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Originally published as Prince Harry says he is against the social media ban, but calls on greater scrutiny
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