Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Archewell Foundation has issued a statement responding to Australia's landmark legislation prohibiting social media access for children under 16, which comes into force today.
The groundbreaking law, passed with significant public backing, 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 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 commended Australia for recognising and responding to the harmful impact technology companies have had on young people, noting that these firms have faced minimal accountability and made inadequate efforts to address the damage caused.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle warn Australia’s child social media ban has major caveat
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"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 Duke and Duchess of Sussex have long advocated for improved online safety measures for children through their charitable work.
Despite welcoming the Australian initiative, Archewell warned that the prohibition functions merely as a "band aid" that fails to tackle technology's "broken design and exploitive business incentives" which necessitate such protective measures in the first place.
A notification from Snapchat requesting age verification is displayed on a mobile phone as a law banning social media for users under 16 in Australia takes effect
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The statement painted a stark picture of the damage wrought 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 Foundation argued that children presently have neither privacy rights nor any reasonable expectation of safety online, adding that they have been deliberately "hooked" by these services.
"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.
Facebook and Instagram alerts are displayed on a mobile phone as Meta prepares for a new law banning social media for users under 16 in Australia
|REUTERS
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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.
For LGBTQ+ youth and those experiencing mental health emergencies, Archewell stated that these services "can be a genuine lifeline" — yet warned that "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."
The statement expressed hope that the Australian ban marks the beginning of a broader reckoning between society and technology firms that prioritise growth over safety.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex established the Parents' Network through Archewell two years ago, offering support to families whose children have suffered harm from social media.