Prince Harry and Meghan’s six word statement about Australia’s world-first social media ban

Prince Harry and wife Meghan have weighed in on Australia’s world-first social media ban, a day after it came into force excluding U16s from popular platforms.

Issuing a statement via their Archewell Foundation, the royal couple summed up their take on the ban in just six words: “It shouldn’t have come to this”.

They described the ban as an “urgent intervention to address unsafe and addictive platforms” including TikTok, X, Instagram, Facebook, and Snapchat that would buy young people time back in their childhoods.

And, while they were full of praise for the Albanese Government’s initiative, they said ultimately it was just a band-aid that did not address the “broken design and exploitive business incentives” that had prompted the ban.

“We celebrate Australia’s leadership for seeing and acting on how these technology companies are negatively impacting young people with little to no recourse or accountability, and feeble efforts from the companies to stem the flow of harms, a statement on the foundation’s website reads.

“This bold, decisive action to protect children at a critical moment in their development sends a strong signal that a child’s mind is not a commodity to be exploited.

“It buys young people valuable time back in their childhoods, but it doesn’t fix the fundamental issue we all still face with social media platforms.”

The Sussexes said social media had huge potential for good, including connecting young people to educational resources, and helping them find their communities.

For LGBTQ+ young people and those suffering mental health emergencies it could be a genuine lifeline, they said.

“But when there’s no option to opt out of the harms, the very lifeline they might depend on, can become the very thing that kills them.

“We’ve heard from too many grieving parents. Too many families devastated by cyberbullying, feeds that radicalize kids toward self-harm, and algorithmic manipulation designed to maximise engagement at any cost.

“There is too much loss of life and livelihood. Children currently have no right to privacy and no expectation of safety, and they’ve been hooked.”

They point out young people are “rightly concerned about how age-restrictions will be enforced and whether it will create new opportunities for their lives to be surveilled.

Harry and Meghan say they hope Australia’s ban is only the start of a reckoning between society and tech companies and that they are held accountable for their design choices and they learn the “lessons of failing to prioritise the well-being of young people”.