More Countries Step Up to Protect Their Children

Through their philanthropic efforts in the online harms space spanning six years of dedicated learning, listening, and advocacy, Prince Harry and Meghan, today, recognize the pivotal moment taking place this week as it pertains to families seeking truth, justice and safeguards for children and communities around the world.

Families devastated by online harm have waited too long for this moment.

Our growing community of The Parents’ Network have lived through the horrific consequences of cyberbullying, algorithm-driven manipulation, and worse. They as well as whistleblowers have told us for years that platforms prioritize engagement over safety.

This week, social media companies are starting to face accountability across the world.

In Los Angeles, Meta and Google face the first jury trial examining whether social media companies deliberately designed their platforms to addict children. Hundreds of families are bringing similar claims, arguing that features like infinite scroll and manipulative algorithms were built with profits, not child safety, as the priority.

Elsewhere, Spain became the latest nation this week to announce plans to hold social media accountable – including requiring social media companies to restrict access for children under 16. This follows Australia’s ban on social media for under 16-year-olds which has been in effect since December. France’s National Assembly recently approved an under-15 ban, and Denmark announced a cross-party agreement last November for the same age limit. Final legislation in both countries is expected this year. While bans do not solve the broken design innate to many social media platforms, it does require them, and their business models, to immediately stop treating young people as entities to extract data from at all costs.

We’re watching both tracks with cautious optimism. Action from world leaders signals that protecting childhood is a societal responsibility, not just a parental one. Something that has always been a prerequisite for all companies, but not yet these ones.

Court cases may finally force platforms to answer for design choices they’ve long avoided addressing even exist.

Enforcement remains complicated. Age verification must work without creating new privacy risks. Young people will seek workarounds. Governments must put safeguards in place not just on the part of the companies but on the part of their own duty to human rights and safety. No single country’s law solves a global problem.

The real test now is whether platforms and all new technology companies will design with children’s wellbeing as a first principle – or whether we’ll keep needing governments and courts to force their hand.

We invite you to support these brave families and parents who have paid the ultimate cost in losing a child, yet who still stand strong and ready to fight for the rights of other families, championing their efforts as they advocate for the protection of all children online.