Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are speaking out after a major legal decision involving some of the world’s biggest tech platforms.
Following a Los Angeles jury’s ruling that found Meta and YouTube liable for negligence in a landmark social media addiction case, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex shared a powerful response, calling the outcome a turning point for families.
“This verdict is a reckoning,” the couple said in a statement to PEOPLE. “For too long, families have paid the price for platforms built with total disregard for the children they reach. We stand with every parent and young person who refused to be silenced. Today, the truth has been heard and precedent has been set.”
The case was brought by a young woman who alleged that the platforms were designed to be addictive, which had an impact on her well-being as she grew up. Jurors ultimately agreed with the plaintiff, finding that the companies’ actions played a substantial role in causing harm.
As part of the ruling, Meta and YouTube were ordered to pay $3 million in compensatory damages, with Meta responsible for 70% of the total. Jurors also determined that Meta and Google should pay punitive damages tied to findings of malice or fraud, with the amount still to be decided.
In a longer statement shared on their official website, Harry and Meghan described the verdict as part of a broader shift in accountability for tech companies.
The couple has long spoken publicly about the dangers social media can pose to young people. Through their foundation, recently renamed Archewell Philanthropies, they have made online safety — particularly the toll social media can take on children and teens’ mental health — a central focus of their advocacy.
That mission became increasingly urgent through Archewell’s Parents’ Network, an initiative created to support families whose children have been harmed by online platforms and to connect them with others facing similar heartbreak.
The couple has also brought that message into the public eye through a series of high-profile initiatives. During a visit to New York City last year, they unveiled the Lost Screen Memorial, featuring 50 smartphones each displaying the lock screen photo of a child whose life was cut short due to the harmful effects of social media. The display was created in collaboration with parents from the Archewell’s Parents’ Network to call for stronger protections online.
“These are families that we have been working with for several years,” Meghan said at the event, which PEOPLE attended. “No matter how polarized the world is, or what people may or may not agree on, one thing that we can all agree on is that our children should be safe. All of our children should be safe, and I think tonight, all of these stories solidify that.”
