Prince Harry has delivered an emotional address to bereaved British families in Los Angeles, who are pursuing a landmark legal case against social media giants Meta and Google's YouTube. The Duke of Sussex, accompanied by his wife Meghan, told the grieving parents: "None of you should be here."
Landmark Court Case Examines Social Media's Impact on Youth
The meeting occurred as a pivotal court case commenced in California, examining whether social media platforms contributed to mental health crises among young users. Hundreds of families are suing Meta, Instagram's parent company, and Google's YouTube, alleging these platforms deliberately addict and harm children through their design choices.
"David Versus Goliath" Situation
In a BBC video recording of the event, Prince Harry appeared visibly moved as he addressed the families. Drawing parallels to his own recent legal battles, he described the situation as "a David versus Goliath situation" and offered encouragement to parents feeling overwhelmed by challenging powerful technology corporations.
"If you are sitting in court and feel overcome with emotion because of what is being said on the other side... that is totally normal," Harry told the group. "Do not feel ashamed, even if the judge asks you not to show emotion."
Families Seeking Truth and Accountability
The prince emphasized three crucial outcomes he hopes will emerge from the legal proceedings: "Truth, justice and accountability – those are the three things that will come from this." He praised parents for their persistence in telling their stories repeatedly, noting that their advocacy has likely saved "thousands if not hundreds of thousands of lives" by raising global awareness about social media dangers.
Among those attending was Ellen Roome, whose 14-year-old son Jools Sweeney died at their Cheltenham home in 2022. She believes he may have been attempting an online challenge and has been seeking data from TikTok and its parent company ByteDance to understand what happened. Roome is campaigning for "Jools' Law," a proposed amendment to United Kingdom legislation that would require automatic preservation of a child's social media data after their death.
International Momentum for Child Protection
The Sussexes released a statement on their website describing the lawsuit as a "pivotal moment" for families seeking accountability from technology companies. They highlighted growing international action, noting that Spain recently announced plans to restrict social media access for children under 16, following similar moves in Australia, France, and Denmark.
"Protecting childhood is a societal responsibility, not just a parental one," the statement declared. "Court cases may finally force platforms to answer for design choices they have long avoided acknowledging."
Core Test Case Could Set Precedent
At the heart of the legal battle is a 19-year-old identified only by the initials "KGM," whose case could determine how thousands of similar lawsuits against social media companies will proceed. KGM claims her social media use from a young age addicted her to the technology and exacerbated depression and suicidal thoughts. The lawsuit alleges this resulted from deliberate design choices by tech companies seeking to make their platforms more addictive to children to boost profits.
Harry and Meghan argued that while age restrictions don't address what they call the "broken design" of many platforms, such measures force companies to stop treating young users as "entities to extract data from at all costs."
Ongoing Advocacy Through Archewell Foundation
The couple urged public support for families who have "paid the ultimate cost in losing a child" and continue campaigning for stronger online protections. Through their Archewell Foundation, they launched the Parents' Network in 2024 to support families affected by online harms, creating a community for those navigating similar tragedies and advocacy challenges.
The emotional meeting in Los Angeles represents a significant moment in the global conversation about social media responsibility, with royal figures lending their voices to parents seeking fundamental changes in how technology companies approach child safety and platform design.
