Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have welcomed the UK government's plan to ban social media for children under 16, calling it “a welcome step forward” but urging further action to tackle the root causes of online harm. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, long-standing advocates for child online safety, issued a statement following Prime Minister Keir Starmer's announcement on Monday.
The couple warned that while the ban helps reduce harm, it does not fix the problem at its source. “Lasting change requires safer platforms by design, meaningful accountability, and a commitment to putting children’s well-being ahead of engagement and profit,” they said, adding that the burden must also be borne by companies, not solely parents and children.
Meghan recently spoke at the Lost Screen Memorial in Geneva, describing children's online safety as a “public health issue”. She criticised algorithms designed to capture attention at any cost, exposing children to harmful content. The couple previously unveiled a similar memorial in New York and have met families affected by social media-related deaths.
The government's ban, expected to be passed by Christmas and enforced by spring, will hold tech firms liable for non-compliance. Platforms like Snapchat, TikTok, and Instagram will be affected. Starmer said the move aims to “give children their childhoods back”.
However, Meghan has faced criticism for posting her own children on social media, albeit with their faces obscured. Royal commentator Duncan Larcombe noted the apparent contradiction, saying “you would think as a campaigner the last thing she would want to do is get her own children's faces out there”.
