Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have renewed their criticism of Meta, calling for greater accountability over social media platforms they say are designed in ways that can put children at risk.
The Duchess of Sussex shared a statement on Sussex.com backing a landmark federal case brought by 29 US states against Meta over child safety concerns.
The Sussexes framed the legal action as an unprecedented bipartisan effort to hold Meta accountable for privacy breaches and design decisions they say put young people at risk.
They called the trial a long-overdue validation for campaigners, writing, "This trial confirms what families and experts have been saying for years - Meta's harms were a financial choice, not an innovation accident."
A legal representative for the states said Meta’s business model depends on gathering young people’s data and keeping them engaged, according to Sussex.com.
Harry and Meghan highlighted that the allegations were supported by the tech giant’s own internal research rather than being a “fringe accusation.”
The statement described the coalition as a rare alliance of Republican, Democratic and swing-state governments.
The attorneys general of Kentucky, New Jersey, Colorado and California are leading the challenge to Meta’s business practices and how its platforms are designed.
The statement pointed to other recent legal setbacks for Meta, including a New Mexico court order requiring the company to pay more than $942 million after ruling that its apps’ unsafe design put young people’s mental health at risk.
They said the cases reflect a broader pattern and cited whistleblower Arturo Bejar’s testimony alleging a “don’t ask, don’t tell” approach to child safety at Meta.
Harry and Meghan said internal records showed Meta pursued addictive design features, raising questions about how the company could defend itself against the evidence now surfacing.
The statement highlighted the personal toll on families, including parents who have lost children to suicide. Members of Harry and Meghan’s Parents’ Network gathered outside the court, with the Sussexes praising them for “standing tall.”
Closing their statement, Harry and Meghan declared, "The reckoning many families have waited years for has finally reached the federal courtroom.
"We stand with them as we wait to see what this trial will mean for children across the country and the world."
Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, shared that they "strongly disagrees" with the allegations.
Notably, the statement came amid the reports revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are moving back to the United Kingdom with kids for an extended period after living in California for six years.
