Prince Harry and Meghan Markle condemn Meta’s decision to end fact-checking on social networks Facebook and Instagram.
On Monday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex took to the website of their charity Archewell to call out the latest policy change from the company led by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Meta’s other platforms include Threads and WhatsApp.
“It doesn’t matter if your views are left, right or somewhere in between — the latest news from Meta about their policy changes directly undermines free speech,” the pair said under the headline “Target for fact-checking,” read. “This should concern us all deeply.”
MEGHAN MARKLE POSTPONED EDITION OF LIFESTYLE SERIES DUE TO CALIFORNIA FIRES
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex took to the website of their charity Archewell to call out Meta’s latest policy change. (Chris Jackson – Pool/Getty Images)
“Contrary to the company’s statements, allowing more abuse and normalizing hate speech serves to silence speech and expression, not encourage it,” they shared. “In an already confusing and, in many cases, deliberately disruptive information environment, Meta has shown that their words and commitments have very little meaning or integrity.”
“While announcing these changes undoubtedly in response to political winds, they are once again abandoning public safety in favor of profit, chaos and control,” the statement said. “The company’s decision to roll back protections is so far removed from its stated values and commitments to customers — including parents and families calling for change around the world — that it is now profoundly misleading.”
The long entry emphasized that millions of people use Meta’s platforms in the US alone, and “hundreds of millions more” use them around the world.
“The company’s decision to roll back protections is so far removed from its stated values and commitments to customers — including parents and families calling for change around the world — that it is now profoundly misleading.”
In 2024, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex launched The Parents Network through Archewell as a resource for parents and carers affected by the harmful effects of social media. (Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty Images)
“Many are using the platform to spread joy, build community and share empowering information,” the statement said. “Unfortunately, Meta’s recent decisions go directly against her stated mission of ‘building human connection’ and instead favor those who use the platform to spread hate, lies and division at the expense of everyone else.”
“Given the profound global impact of Meta’s decisions on the world—many of whom are still recovering or actively suffering from them—the politics of one country should never determine whether freedom of expression and civil and human rights are protected in online spaces so clearly shaping or destroying democracy,” it said.
According to the pair, online spaces must be designed “so that public safety and well-being are at the center, resistant to political pressures and lapses in corporate leadership.”
WATCH: MEGHAN MARKLE HAS NEXT POLITICAL ROLE, NOT HOLLYWOOD, EXPERT SAYS
Harry (40) and Meghan (43) launched the 2024 Parents network through Archewell as a resource for parents and caregivers who have been affected by the harmful effects of social media. Creating a safer space online has been one of the couple’s key goals since they retired as senior royals in 2020 and moved to California.
“This latest move by Meta is an example of a social media company — fully aware of its power to shape public discourse — neglecting any responsibility to ensure that power is not abused and instead allowing ego or profit, possibly both, to drive decisions that affect billions.” , it is stated in the press release.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
“We are particularly concerned about plans to abandon commitments to diversity and equality, along with domestic policy changes that undermine protections for marginalized communities. These decisions reflect what experts, whistleblowers and families have been saying in the debate about the harms of the internet, particularly in relation to children’s safety: platform design, dictated by internal rules, directly determines our online experience.”
APPLICATION USERS CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE ANNOUNCEMENT
“To ignore this is to knowingly expose ourselves to all the dangers and contribute to the global mental health crisis,” the statement continued. “Meta’s changes to the ‘Hateful Content Rules’ do not protect freedom of expression, but instead foster an environment where abuse and hate speech silence and threaten the voices of entire communities that make up a healthy democracy.
“We’re asking Meta to review and reinstate policies to protect all users. We also call on leaders in all industries to uphold their commitments to integrity and public safety in online spaces, and applaud leaders who refuse to bow to bullying.”
The statement also linked several organizations “advocating for accountability and honesty on the Internet.”
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE FOR THE FUN NEWSLETTER
Creating a safer space online has been one of the key goals of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle since they stepped down as senior members of the royal family in 2020 and moved to California. (Getty Images)
“Having worked in this space for the past five years and witnessed the devastation these decisions have in the real world, we believe there is no justification for this industry to act as if it is exempt from the ethical and moral standards to which everyone else is held,” the statement read.
“We at the Archewell Foundation remain committed to promoting accountability, preserving information integrity and protecting all communities in the digital age. We hope and expect that those who enable Meta’s profits, such as advertisers and shareholders, will do the same.”
Meta is replacing its fact-checking with a “community notes” system reminiscent of X, where it depends on users to correct misinformation on their platforms.
Meghan Markle returned to social media on January 1. (Getty Images)
LIKE WHAT YOU READ? CLICK HERE FOR MORE ENTERTAINMENT NEWS
Zuckerberg (40) posted a video saying it was time to prioritize “freedom of expression” and that fact-checkers had become “politically biased”. Zuckerberg also noted that he is moving Meta’s content moderation team from California, a blue state, to Texas, a red state, and lifting restrictions on some immigration and gender discussions.
Meta did not comment on how many people might be relocated.
On January 1, Meghan rejoined social media after a five-year hiatus. She has an Instagram account under the name @meghan with comments turned off. The former American actress has a new Netflix series, “With Love, Meghan,” which was scheduled to premiere on January 15. It was moved until March because of the fire in Los Angeles.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
