Prince Harry Calls For "Accountability" From Social Media Companies in Emotional Brussels Speech
The Duke Of Sussex took part in a panel discussion in the European Parliament where he emotionally spoke about why he was so passionate about digital safety for children
PRINCE Harry made an emotional speech at the EU Parliament, where he called for "accountability" from social media companies.
The Duke of Sussex took part in an international cross-parliamentary panel discussion which focused on protections for children in the digital age. The panel specifically considered how legislation, regulation and effective enforcement could translate commitments into meaningful protection for children online.
This comes after Prince Harry delivered the keynote address when opening the Lost Screen Memorial, which focused on the victims of online abuse. In the discussion, Harry highlighted the dangers that children continue to face online, whilst he called for active change from social media companies.
"These companies have caused so much harm; there has to be accountability," he said. "We talked about incentive versus deterrent. And for many years, I think we've tried to incentivise these companies to change; that hasn't worked.
"We've tried to trust them. That hasn't worked."
Prince Harry continued: "What has come to light through the court battles in America has been shocking, but perhaps unsurprising.
"They've always known, and now it's time for people like yourselves and people around the world in positions of power and influence to really make that difference."
"Don't put anything in front of our children that you wouldn't put in front of your own children. And I use that [phrase] because the majority of these companies, they [staff] don't let their children on social media because they know the dangers."
The Duke added: "So why would you create something that you know is going to harm someone else's job? And the parents want transparency."
The Duke also paid tribute to the work of his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex during the joint panel session, as he explained why the pair became so involved with this particular cause.
"Myself and my wife, we we came into this in 2020, six years ago, and in large part because of the problem that we could see, but the meetings that we had with experts around the world who had been raising the flag for 10 years before this place, saying, 'This is where this is headed, these are the problems, this is what we need to do in order to prevent harm', and no one listened.
"And then we met families, and then more families, and more, and more, and more, and it became very clear that this problem wasn't going away. That more children were taking their lives or being harmed forever, more parents were suffering, and the companies at the heart of it refused to make any changes."
"Don't put anything in front of our children that you wouldn't put in front of your own children." - Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex
Harry and Meghan arrived together as the Duchess made her first public appearance after the arrest of her estranged father Thomas Markle for possession of CSAM.
The Prince continued: "My wife and I really give a platform to the parents so that you and everybody else around the world can hear their stories. That's how we're going to make the change.
"That's how the simplicity of the solution is really important. We can no longer trust or believe the companies when they say it's complicated. Nothing else is complicated."
