The statement, released through the Archewell Foundation, discusses Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s thoughts on Australia’s decision to ban under-16s from social media
02:18, 11 Dec 2025Updated 07:49, 11 Dec 2025
Harry and Meghan have been very vocal about the dangers of social media
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have released a new message through their Archewell Foundation to discuss Australia’s decision to ban under-16s from social media.
The couple, who have become vocal advocates for online safety and the dangers that social media pose to children, praised the decision but declared: “It shouldn’t have come to this.” Australia is now the first country to impose national age limits on social media, with 10 major platforms, including YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram, required to block anyone under 16 from creating an account.
Any company that breaches the restrictions faces heavy fines of up to $49.5 million. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the move as “the day when Australian families are taking back power from these big tech companies”.
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Harry and Meghan’s message read: “We celebrate Australia’s leadership for seeing and acting on how these technology companies are negatively impacting young people with little to no recourse or accountability, and feeble efforts from the companies to stem the flow of harms.”
The couple’s statement went on: “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. It buys young people valuable time back in their childhoods, but it doesn’t fix the fundamental issue we all still face with social media platforms.
“Here’s the truth: the ban is an effective measure to stop imminent harm, but ultimately only works as a band aid that does not address tech’s broken design and exploitive business incentives, requiring us to protect young people in the first place.”
Albanese described the move as “the day when Australian families are taking back power from these big tech companies”.(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
After addressing how social media can sometimes be a force for good, the message continued: “We hope this ban is only the start of a reckoning between society and the tech companies that built these platforms with growth as their first principle instead of safety.
“We hope this ban is only the start of a reckoning between society and the tech companies that built these platforms with growth as their first principle instead of safety.”
The statement concluded: We look forward to the next step to hold tech accountable for its design choices and hope leaders of new technologies learn the lessons of failing to prioritize the well-being of young people. The world is watching to see if they’ll finally take responsibility and make the changes the world so desperately need.”