Prince Harry Emotionally Supports Bereaved Parents in Landmark Social Media Trial
Prince Harry joined British families in Los Angeles who allege their children died after using social media, emotionally telling them: 'None of you should be here.' The Duke of Sussex fought back tears in front of the bereaved parents as a major court case began to examine the mental health effects of Instagram and YouTube.
An emotional Harry, accompanied by his wife Meghan, praised the families for 'telling your stories over and over again' and expressed hopes for 'truth, justice and accountability.' In a video of his comments aired on BBC Breakfast, the Duke referenced his own recent court battles related to security and media claims.
Harry's Heartfelt Address to Grieving Families
Harry told the group: 'We've said time and time again that this is a David versus Goliath situation. I've been in some similar situations myself, vastly different.' He added: 'But when you were sitting in court and if you have that feeling of just overwhelming emotion because you can't believe that the people on the other side are saying what they're saying, that by the very nature of them defending what they're defending, the lies that they are stating, is devaluing life, is devaluing your children's lives, if that brings stuff up for you, it is totally normal.'
He continued: 'Do not feel ashamed, do not feel concerned. Even if the judge - as I heard - turned round and asked you not to show emotion.' Harry concluded: 'As I said, none of you should be here. So, thank you for doing everything that you've done. Thank you for telling your stories over and over again. Truth, justice and accountability. Those are the three things that will come from this.'
British Parents Seek Justice in Los Angeles
Among the British parents who travelled to Los Angeles is Ellen Roome, 49, whose son Jools Sweeney died aged 14 at home in Cheltenham in 2022. She believes Jools died after an online challenge went wrong and has been trying to obtain data from TikTok and ByteDance to explain what happened. Ms Roome is campaigning for Jools Law, a Crime and Policing Bill amendment that would bring in automatic preservation of a child's social media data if they die.
Harry and Meghan's Statement on Online Harms
Harry and Meghan released a new statement about online harms, saying the case is a 'pivotal moment taking place this week as it pertains to families seeking truth, justice and safeguards for children and communities around the world.' They added: 'This week, social media companies are starting to face accountability across the world.'
The couple highlighted that in Los Angeles, Meta and Google face the first jury trial examining whether social media companies deliberately designed their platforms to addict children. Hundreds of families are bringing similar claims, arguing that features like infinite scroll and manipulative algorithms were built with profits, not child safety, as the priority.
Global Efforts to Protect Children Online
Harry and Meghan cited efforts by countries to clamp down on social media use by children, noting Spain's plans to restrict access for under-16s, Australia's ban on social media for under-16s since December, France's under-15 ban approval, and Denmark's cross-party agreement for a similar age limit. They stated: 'While bans do not solve the broken design innate to many social media platforms, it does require them, and their business models, to immediately stop treating young people as entities to extract data from at all costs.'
The couple emphasized: 'Action from world leaders signals that protecting childhood is a societal responsibility, not just a parental one. Something that has always been a prerequisite for all companies, but not yet these ones. Court cases may finally force platforms to answer for design choices they've long avoided addressing even exist.'
Court Proceedings and Testimonies
In yesterday's hearing at Los Angeles County Superior Court, Meta's Instagram boss Adam Mosseri testified that he disagrees with the idea that people can be clinically addicted to social media platforms. The question of addiction is a key pillar of the case, where plaintiffs seek to hold social media companies responsible for harms to children who use their platforms. Meta Platforms and Google's YouTube are the two remaining defendants, with TikTok and Snap having settled.
At the core of the case is a 20-year-old identified only by the initials 'KGM,' whose lawsuit could determine how thousands of similar lawsuits against social media companies would play out. She and two other plaintiffs have been selected for bellwether trials as test cases.
Mr Mosseri said it was important to differentiate between clinical addiction and problematic use. However, the plaintiff's lawyer presented quotes from Mr Mosseri where he used the term addiction in relation to social media use, though he clarified he was using it 'too casually.' Mr Mosseri noted that Instagram makes 'less money from teens than from any other demographic on the app,' but the plaintiff's lawyer argued that teen users are prime for long-term profit due to early platform adoption.
Ongoing Trial and Future Testimonies
The trial is scheduled to continue on Friday, with Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg expected to take the stand on February 18 and YouTube chief executive Neil Mohan the following day. For the Los Angeles jury to find the companies liable, they must determine that Meta and YouTube were negligent in designing or operating the platforms and that their products were a substantial factor in harms to mental health.
Global Context and Broader Implications
Access to social media for children has become a major issue globally, with Australia becoming the first country to prohibit use for under-16s in December. Britain, Spain, Greece, and France are among many others considering similar action. In the US, Meta, YouTube, and other platforms face a wave of litigation from families, school districts, and state attorney generals, with Meta also facing a separate trial in New Mexico this week.
Harry and Meghan launched the Parents' Network in August 2024 in association with their Archewell Foundation charity, aiming to tackle harm caused to children by the internet. They invited support for 'these brave families and parents who have paid the ultimate cost in losing a child, yet who still stand strong and ready to fight for the rights of other families.'
