Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released a new statement tonight, about a landmark trial taking place in the US on online child safety. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex dubbed the trial a “turning point” as it has “forced some of the most powerful companies on earth to reveal what’s behind the curtain and to answer, in public and on the record, for choices that shaped an entire generation’s daily life”.
Harry and Meghan, who have long campaigned about child safety online, praised the efforts made to hold tech companies accountable for unsafe technologies when it comes to children. They said in the statement: “The world is finally paying attention.”
The Sussex statement read: “Today, the largest technology companies find themselves under unprecedented scrutiny.
“Their products, their design choices, and their impact on young people are being examined not just in public debate, but now in a court of law.
“And regardless of any single verdict, one truth is already clear: these companies are on trial in the court of history.
“This is the first case of its kind, but it will not be the last.”
Tech giants like Meta, Google and YouTube are facing the first jury trial in Los Angeles, which examines how their platforms are designed to addict children.
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In their statement, Harry and Meghan included some of the biggest “revelations” to come out of the trial, including Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony under oath, how internal documents showed deliberate strategies to hook young users and that engagement was repeatedly prioritised over safety.
They added: “Taken together, these revelations show why this moment matters to everyone, not just to the families directly involved.
This trial is already a turning point: it has forced some of the most powerful companies on earth to reveal what’s behind the curtain and to answer, in public and on the record, for choices that shaped an entire generation’s daily life.”