Prince Harry, Meghan Markle address Australia’s latest social media policy

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are applauding Australia’s latest legislation to ban social media for children under the age of 16.

Releasing a statement to address the country’s new social media policy, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed the decision, which goes into effect December 10, as “an urgent intervention”.

“On December 10, Australia will make history as the world’s first country to ban social media for children under 16,” the statement, shared through Archewell Foundation, opened. “The legislation, which passed with overwhelming public support, is an urgent intervention to address unsafe and addictive platforms like TikTok, Twitter (X), Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat — fining the companies up to AUD$50 million if they fail to keep young users off their services.”

“We celebrate Australia’s leadership for seeing and acting on how these technology companies are negatively impacting young people with little to no recourse or accountability, and feeble efforts from the companies to stem the flow of harms,” the Duke and Duchess added.

While further hailing Australia’s “bold, decisive action to protect children at a critical moment in their development”, the statement continued to reflect on the need to prioritise “the fundamental issue” which still persists with “social media platforms.”

“Here’s the truth: the ban is an effective measure to stop imminent harm, but ultimately only works as a band aid that does not address tech’s broken design and exploitive business incentives, requiring us to protect young people in the first place,” it was added. “Through our work around the world, we’ve seen how transformative social media can be. It inspires creativity, connects young people to educational resources, and helps them find their communities. For LGBTQ+ young people and those suffering mental health emergencies we’ve spoken with, it can be a genuine lifeline. These platforms have immense potential for good, connection, and hope.”

Harry and Meghan continued to uphold optimism regarding the law, sharing, “We hope this ban is only the start of a reckoning between society and the tech companies that built these platforms with growth as their first principle instead of safety.”

While the message concluded with a poignant nod towards the tech giants behind various social media networks, saying, “The world is watching to see if they’ll finally take responsibility and make the changes the world so desperately need.” (Sic)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s latest statement is part of their ongoing work in raising awareness against the misuse of social media, for which the couple have initiated multiple projects, with their work additionally earning them the Humanitarians of the Year Award at Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Gala in October.