The Duchess of Sussex has called on global health leaders to take urgent action to protect children online, describing the issue as a public health crisis. Speaking at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial in Geneva on Sunday, Meghan emphasized that children are being shaped by systems "designed to capture attention at any cost."
A Public Health Issue
Joined by World Health Organisation (WHO) director-general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the duchess addressed global health leaders, ministers, and families affected by online harm. She stated: "Children today are being shaped by systems designed to capture attention at any cost: relentless algorithms, exploitative engagement, and endless exposure to harmful content that they are not seeking out."
New Technologies Amplify Risks
Meghan warned that emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, are not merely repeating past mistakes but are "accelerating and amplifying" them. She noted that danger now travels globally, instantly, and invisibly. "We are seeing new forms of harm emerge faster than our systems are prepared to respond, affecting children at alarming scale and across borders," she said.
However, she stressed that these outcomes are not inevitable. "Prevention begins with one simple principle: children must be safe by design, not safe by chance," she added, urging attendees to "speak up" and "demand better from the platforms shaping our children's lives."
Memorial and Partnerships
The Lost Screen Memorial, hosted by the WHO and Archewell Philanthropies—the charitable foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex—took place ahead of the 79th World Health Assembly. It was organized in partnership with The Parents' Network, a community of bereaved families advocating for safer online spaces for children and young people.
