Prince Harry, Meghan Markle speak out on Australia’s under-16 social media ban

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have spoken out on Australia’s legislation prohibiting social media access for children under 16.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell Foundation issued a statement titled “Australia Takes Bold Action to Protect Kids Online. But It Shouldn’t Have Come to This”, which came into force on December 10.

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,” the statement began.

“This bold, decisive action to protect children at a critical moment in their development sends a strong signal that a child’s mind is not a commodity to be exploited,” the statement read.

They further praised the Australian Government’s for moving decisively to shield children from online harm. Yet the Foundation stressed that the ban represents a “band aid” solution rather than a cure for the systemic issues within the tech industry.

“We’ve heard from too many grieving parents. Too many families devastated by cyberbullying, feeds that radicalize kids toward self-harm, and algorithmic manipulation designed to maximize engagement at any cost. There is too much loss of life and livelihood. Children currently have no right to privacy and no expectation of safety, and they’ve been hooked,” it added.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle – who have been outspoken advocates for online safety -established the Parents’ Network through Archewell two years ago, offering support to families whose children have suffered harm from social media.