Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have called for stronger protections for children against the dangers of social media so that “no more kids are lost to social media”.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are unveiling a memorial in New York City which they have dedicated to children who have died due to online harm.
“The easiest thing to say is to keep your kids away from social media. The sad reality is the kids who aren't on social media normally get bullied at school because they can't be part of the same conversation as everybody else”, the prince told journalists at an Archewell Foundation event in New York.
"Life is better off of social media," he continued. "I say that as a parent, and I say that as someone who's spoken to many of the kids here tonight who lost a brother or a sister to social media. But clearly, enough is not enough. Enough is not being done."
He told BBC Breakfast: “We want to make sure that things are changed so that... no more kids are lost to social media.”
Prince Harry and Meghan unveiled an installation called the Lost Screen Memorial, made from 50 smartphones displaying a screen photo of a child whose life was lost “as a result of the harm they suffered on social media.”
“These images represent the ones their parents have on their phone lockscreens. Their faces serve as a constant reminder of what has been lost”, a statement read on the Archewell Foundation’s Parents Network website.
“The responsibility to keep children safe online should not lie with parents alone.
“The technology companies who profit from children’s time on their apps have an obligation to design them with safety in mind and should be held to safety standards. Join us as we demand safety by design from the social media platforms so that no child is lost to social media.”
Photos part of the installation were shared by parents who are part of the Parents’ Network set up by Harry and Megan. The memorial will be open for 24 hours.
Harry and Meghan have backed calls to technology firms that parents should be able to have access to information on the phones of children who have died, despite arguments from companies about privacy.
The prince said: “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.”
The Sussexes’ plea adds to an international backlash against social media companies, particularly over the harmful effects on children and teenagers.
Ofcom published its final children’s codes of practice on Thursday which set out rules for how websites and apps must protect children from harmful content, including by using age assurance tools and reconfiguring algorithms to prevent young people accessing illegal and harmful material.
Technology Secretary Peter Kyle said the publication of the codes was a “watershed moment” after years of “exposed, poisonous environments” online.
This isn’t the first time Harry has called for tighter social media regulations as he said in 2022 that he hoped his children “never have to experience the online world as it exists now”.
The Duke of Sussex suggested new laws were needed to curb "hatred and harm" on the internet and to stop social media companies from using children as “digital experiments to make money”.
“My kids are too young to have experienced the online world yet and I hope they never have to experience it as it exists now,” Harry said.
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