Prince Harry slams ‘lawless’ social media’s impact on children

BRUSSELS — Royalty descended on the European Parliament on Tuesday as Prince Harry slammed Big Tech for creating a world of “chaos.” “A handful of very powerful people … would like to see the world as a social media world: lawless, no consequence, complete chaos, division,” the Duke of Sussex said at an event on online safety for children. Speaking in a room packed to the brim with journalists and photographers, Harry called for stricter rules on social media platforms to protect kids from content that could lead to suicide or self-harm. He expressed reservations about the privacy policies of social media platforms, which he said bar parents from knowing how their children died. “That cannot be right,” a visibly upset Harry said. His wife, Meghan Markle, was present but withdrew from an address on Tuesday’s panel. The European Commission regulates online platforms through its Digital Services Act and is planning a special regime for minors under the Kids Act. The burden of proof that platforms are safe should be on the companies rather than on parents, and “the EU Kids Act is exactly that,” said the prince, praising an EU proposal that would bar access to social media for under-13s. The couple brought an air of celebrity to the Parliament, with heightened security and a clamoring press pack, including many journalists from the U.K. Dozens of parliament employees and lobbyists gathered outside the room, phones in hand, to catch a glimpse of the pair. Meanwhile, the internal market committee, which is leading negotiations for the Parliament on the Kids Act, was meeting in a far less crowded room. MEPs from the committee — including Hungarian conservative Dóra Dávid and Slovak liberal Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová — attended the royal event.