Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have responded to Australia’s landmark decision.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Archewell Foundation has issued a statement, praising Australia’s law prohibiting social media access for children under 16, which comes into force on Wednesday, December 10.
The law targets platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, X and Snapchat, with companies facing penalties of up to AUD$50million (£24.8million) should they fail to prevent young users from accessing their services.
In a statement titled “Australia Takes Bold Action to Protect Kids Online. But It Shouldn’t Have Come to This”, the rcouple’s Foundation praised the Australian Government’s decisive move while cautioning that the measure represents only a temporary solution to a deeper problem within the technology industry.
The foundation lauded the country for recognising and responding to the harmful impact technology companies have had on young people.
“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,” the statement read.
Archewell described the legislation as giving young people “valuable time back in their childhoods”, though it stressed that the ban does not resolve the underlying problems that continue to plague social media platforms.
The Sussexes’s stance of improved online safety measures has received a sppaial backing with the action as the couple have long advocated to save children from the social media harm.
The statement painted a stark picture of the damage brought by unregulated platforms: “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 maximize engagement at any cost.”
“The companies ‘unintended consequences’ of a decade ago are now part of their money making strategy, and children have become their collateral,” the statement declared.
However, the Foundation acknowledged that social media possesses considerable capacity for positive impact, noting that platforms can foster creativity, provide educational resources and help young people discover their communities.
