Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s official office has issued a new statement backing families involved in the Los Angeles social media addiction trial, saying the case has brought major technology companies under renewed scrutiny.
The post was published on the couple’s Sussex website under the headline “Big Tech on Trial: Progress Made Possible by Courage” and said Archewell Philanthropies was proud to have “stood with and supported” parents, advocates and experts calling for safer technology.
In the statement, the couple’s office said the products, design choices and effect of major platforms on young people were being examined both in court and in public debate.
It described the case as the first of its kind and said it would not be the last.
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The post also referred to a number of allegations and pieces of evidence aired during the trial, including Mark Zuckerberg’s testimony before a jury and internal company documents concerning youth engagement, time spent on apps and under-13 users on Instagram.
The case is being heard in LA and centres on a 20-year-old woman identified in court as Kaley G.M., or KGM, who is suing Meta and Google-owned YouTube.
She alleges that her early use of social media led to addiction-like behaviour and worsened her depression and suicidal thoughts.
TikTok and Snap settled with the plaintiff before the trial began, leaving Meta and YouTube as the remaining defendants.
Harry and Meghan's office issues official statement on landmark Meta and YouTube trial
|PA
The case focuses on claims about the design and operation of the platforms rather than material posted by other users.
Lawyers delivered closing arguments last week after about a month of evidence from addiction experts, therapists, platform engineers and senior executives, including Mr Zuckerberg.
Jurors began deliberating on Friday and must decide separately whether Meta and YouTube were negligent and whether any negligence was a substantial factor in causing the plaintiff’s harm.
If either company is found liable, the jury will then consider damages.
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Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg departs the court
|REUTERS
Meta and YouTube deny liability. Meta has argued that Kaley faced significant challenges before she ever used social media, while YouTube’s lawyers told jurors the platform was not comparable to social media services built around social-validation features.
Both companies have also pointed to safety tools and parental controls already available to users.
The statement from Harry and Meghan’s office was published while the verdict remains outstanding.
Online safety has become one of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s most prominent charitable campaigns.
Lawyers representing Meta, Phyllis Jones and Paul Schmidt, walk outside the court as the jury continues with deliberations in a key test case accusing Meta and Google's YouTube of harming children's mental health through addictive social media platforms
|REUTERS
In October 2025, Meghan said The Parents’ Network had grown from a small pilot in November 2022 to a support system serving families across three countries by August 2024.
In April 2025, the couple’s foundation unveiled the Lost Screen Memorial in New York, which honoured nearly 50 children lost to online harm.
In December, Harry and Meghan were revamping their charitable organisation under the Archewell Philanthropies name while continuing projects focused on the harmful effects of social media.