Prince Harry has described social media's impact on children as "one of the most pressing issues of our time" during a high-profile humanitarian event. The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan received an award for their charitable work at the Project Healthy Minds Gala in New York.
The duke highlighted alarming statistics from legal action against social media companies. He revealed that 4,000 families are currently taking legal action through the Social Media Victims Law Centre alone.
"Tonight, we are all here together to focus on what remains one of the most pressing issues of our time," Harry said. "Let me share a number with you: 4,000. That's how many families the Social Media Victims Law Centre is currently representing - families whose children have been harmed or lost forever to social media."
Corporate accountability concerns
Harry emphasised that the figure represents only families who could definitively link their child's circumstances to social media use. He criticised the limited scope of legal recourse available to grieving parents.
"Four thousand cases at just one firm. And that number represents only those parents who have been able to link their child's circumstance to social media use," he continued. "Parents who have learned legal action is possible, who have the capacity to pursue it while grieving, and parents who've found their way to help in the fight back against some of the wealthiest, most powerful corporations in the world."
The duke condemned social media companies for refusing to disclose children's platform activity to bereaved families. "And even after this there may be no road to closure for grieving parents because these companies refuse to disclose their child's information and activity on their platforms," he said.
Personal parenting challenges
Meghan addressed the couple's concerns about protecting their own children, six-year-old Archie and four-year-old Lili. The Duchess of Sussex acknowledged the growing difficulty of balancing technology's benefits with its dangers.
"Like so many parents, we think constantly about how to embrace technology's benefits while safeguarding against its dangers," Meghan said. "That hopeful intention of separation is rapidly becoming impossible."
Foundation partnership expansion
The couple's Archewell Foundation announced a new partnership to strengthen child protection efforts online. Their Parents' Network initiative will join forces with ParentsTogether, a non-profit organisation focused on family advocacy and online safety.
Harry warned of additional emerging threats from artificial intelligence development. "As our network grew, we've seen the full scope of what we're facing," he said. "We have witnessed the explosion of unregulated artificial intelligence, heard more and more stories from heartbroken families, and watched parents all over the world become increasingly concerned about their children's digital lives."
The duke emphasised that affected children were specifically targeted rather than being inherently vulnerable. "And their kids? They weren't struggling with mental health issues, they weren't distinctly vulnerable, they were preyed upon," Harry concluded.
Sources used: "PA Media" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
