KIDS IN DANGER
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle open up on parenting ‘heartache’ & demand change to ‘keep our children safe’
Mark Zuckerberg was among social media bosses grilled by the Senate Judiciary Committee
PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle have called for an urgent change to "keep our children safe" on social media.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex said they had heard the "heartache" of parents amid the US Senate Judiciary Committee's hearing regarding online child safety.
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Harry and Meg said that even the "best parenting in the world cannot keep children safe from these platforms".
In a statement on their Archewell website, the couple said the issue transcended division and party lines and this is "not the time to pass the buck of responsibility".
It comes after the chief executives of Meta, TikTok, X and other social media giants gave evidence before the US Senate Judiciary Committee yesterday, in front of parents whose children suffered or died because of online harm.
Alongside their statement, the Duke and Duchess released a clip last night of their appearance at a World Mental Health Day discussion in New York on October 10 last year.
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The pair said: "We applaud the bravery and determination of the thousands of parents around the country whose advocacy resulted in this hearing.
"Over the past few years we have spent time with many of these families, listening to their heartache and their hopes for the urgent change that is needed in the online space.
"This is an issue that transcends division and party lines, as we saw today at the Senate hearing. The best parenting in the world cannot keep children safe from these platforms."
They added: "As one of the fathers shared with us: 'If love could have saved them, all of our children would still be here'.
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"This is not the time to pass the buck of responsibility. It's the time to make necessary change at the source to keep our children safe."
Harry and Meghan's own children are still young, with Prince Archie approaching his fifth birthday in May and Princess Lilibet aged two.
The statement was accompanied by a video of the couple at the Archewell Foundation Parents' Summit, which focused on mental wellness in a digital age.
They were seen speaking to and hugging parents who shared their experiences.
Stop sending children content you wouldn't want your own children to see."
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Meghan said: "When the car was first invented, there wasn't a seatbelt. And what happened? People started to get hurt, people started to die. So you started to change the car."
She added: "Everyone now is affected by the online world and social media - we all just want to feel safe."
The Duke urged tech bosses to "stop sending children content you wouldn't want your own children to see".
"We need to get out of this idea that young kids, there's something wrong with them. No, it's the world that we're allowing to be created around them," he said.
The Archewell Foundation said it is working with families to provide a support network for those dealing with grief or those whose children have serious mental health conditions as a result of their exposure to harmful online content.
'BLOOD ON YOUR HANDS'
Zuckerberg, whose company runs Instagram, Facebook and Whatsapp, was among those grilled by the Senate Judiciary Committee over online harm, as was Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel.
During the Congressional hearing on Wednesday, Republican senator Lindsey Graham told Mr Zuckerberg and other social media bosses: "I know you don't mean it to be so, but you have blood on your hands.
"You have a product that's killing people."
The Facebook founder apologised to parents in the audience who said Instagram contributed to their children's suicide or exploitation, adding: "I'm sorry for everything you've all gone through."
The Sussexes' public statement comes at a time when the King and the Prince and Princess of Wales are all away from official engagements.
The King is recovering from treatment on an enlarged prostate and William cares for Kate as she recuperates from abdominal surgery.
Charles, 75, had surgery last Friday at the , while Kate, 42, is not expected to carry out official engagements until after Easter.
With their reported £80million Netflix deal drawing to a close in 2025, and only two projects under their belt, the Sussexes have sparked rumours a contract with rival Paramount Pictures is in the pipeline.
Harry and Meg originally signed a rumoured contract for £80million in 2020 to work together until 2025.
But Meghan has since seen her desired animated series, Pearl, ditched by Netflix while in the development stage.
The pair have their own production company called Archewell Productions which produces their content for the streamers.
However, manager Bennett Levine - who worked on the flop docuseries Harry and Meghan - confirmed he was quitting, after less than two years in the role.
It comes as the Duke and Duchess' trip to Jamaica to attend the Paramount film Bob Marley: One Love premier last Tuesday raised some eyebrows.
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It is understood the "desperate" couple, had been flown out by the media giant on a private Gulfstream IV jet.
Royal experts claimed the pair rubbed shoulders with bosses in a bid to revive Meghan's failed acting pursuits.
Harry and Meghan's business ventures
- Meghan had her upcoming animated series Pearl chucked out by Netflix while in the development stage.
- Then 42-year-old was said to have been “uncharacteristically quiet”, following the loss of her £18million Spotify deal in June last year.
- While Spare initially sold a staggering number of copies demand soon dwindled and a year on its popularity has plummeted with major retailers slashing prices in half.
- Meanwhile, their Netflix documentary also took a hit and the duke and duchess are believed to have been paid only half of their reported £78million contract.
- The pair were poked fun at by comedian Jo Koy at the Golden Globes for “being paid millions by Netflix for doing nothing”.
- Harry’s series, Heart of Invictus, shedding light on the Olympic-style games he started for wounded ex-service competitors also flopped.
- Archewell figures in December last year revealed a hole in the accounts after it received almost £9million less in donations than in a previous year.
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