Prince Harry knows “a thing or two” about getting into trouble.
Speaking at the Clinton Foundation in New York City on Tuesday, the Duke of Sussex slammed online platforms, saying they are designed to lure young people into addiction.
“They say kids will be kids, and that may be true. Kids get into trouble sometimes, and I know a thing or two about that,” said the father of two, who admits to using drugs as a teenager.
“Our children are being targeted and the harmful effects of social media are deliberate,” he added.
As part of their work with Archewell, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle are working with bereaved parents in a new initiative called Parents Network, which aims to change the system that took their children from them.
To make his point, Prince Harry stood in front of a screen filled with images of children on lock screens, all of whom had lost their lives because of social media.
“My lock screen is a picture of my kids,” he revealed, referring to Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibeth, 3.
“We need to empower both young people and parents, but also hold digital platforms accountable. No one wants to live in a world without consequences and accountability. Parenting doesn't end when you have a child. It doesn't end when you start a company.”
“Whether we're parents or CEOs, we have a duty and a responsibility to follow through on our creations. Just because companies are shamelessly lacking in responsibility doesn't mean we should do the same. Their platform may be within our reach, but their future fate, their future, is in our hands.”
“We were promised a human experience,” he charged, “but instead we were used in human experimentation.”
“We hold the fate of the future in our hands, their future in our hands,” he said, as the crowd gave him a standing ovation.
Markle spoke in support of her husband on CBS last month.
“Our kids are young – 3 and 5 – and they're amazing,” she said, “but all you want to do as a parent is to protect them.
“If you look at what's happening in the online space, you can see there's a lot of work to be done there, and we're happy to be part of making a positive change.”
The rebel royal, who recently celebrated his 40th birthday, previously admitted to using drugs as a teenager and as an adult.
In his explosive memoir, Spare, he describes taking cocaine as a teenager and smoking marijuana while at Eton – both drugs are illegal in the UK.
Prince Harry was forced to apologise after his drug use as a child was first revealed publicly and his father, King Charles, reportedly sent him to a rehabilitation centre, but Harry later wrote in his book that the visit long predated his exposure.
After his confession, his lawyers warned that his drug use could affect his U.S. visa, but on Monday it was revealed that the visa he currently uses to live and work in the country has expired. Remain private.
Prince Harry attended the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) annual meeting alongside actors Matt Damon, Jane Goodall, and chef Jose Andres, and delivered a speech on the second day of the event.
He is due to appear at a Lesotho charity and Travalyst later on Tuesday.
