Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Address Senate Hearing on Child Safety: Protect Kids! on February 1, 2024 at 4:45 pm The Hollywood Gossip

What did Meghan Markle and Prince Harry say to the United States Senate?

Even as Suits fans wonder if Meghan Markle will return to the hit drama series, she has more important things on her mind.

This week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke as the US Senate delves into child safety in online spaces.

Children face added perils in the age of social media. The Senate is at risk of making it worse, but Meghan and Harry hope that they’ll make things better, instead.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attends the Premiere of “Bob Marley: One Love” at the Carib 5 Theatre on January 23, 2024. (Photo Credit: Marcus Ingram/Getty Images)

Social media can be an unsafe place for kids

The US Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Wednesday, January 31, on the topic of online safety for children.

There is a lot at stake, including the safety of children and the well-being of the internet. Those aren’t mutually exclusive concerns, but there are some politicians treating it that way.

Some of Big Tech’s biggest clowns showed up to testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee. The circus is in town, it seems.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are not tech titans or politicians, but they released a not-quite-royal statement on the Senate hearings through the Archwell Foundation’s website.

“We applaud the bravery and determination of the thousands of parents around the country whose advocacy resulted in this hearing,” the Sussex couple wrote.

“Over the past few years, we have spent time with many of these families,” Harry and Meghan noted, “listening to their heartache and their hopes for the urgent change that is needed in the online space.”

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends the 2023 Variety Power Of Women at Mother Wolf on November 16, 2023. (Photo Credit: Kayla Oaddams/Getty Images)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle know the stories that the Senate has heard

After referring to the Archewell Foundation’s work with grieving parents and with minors who are victims of harmful online content, Meghan and Harry’s statement continued.

“This is an issue that transcends division and party lines, as we saw today at the Senate hearing,” the couple affirmed.

“The best parenting in the world cannot keep children safe from these platforms,” Harry and Meghan lamented.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the sitting volleyball finals at the Merkur Spiel-Arena during day six of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 on September 15, 2023. (Photo Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

Together, both Meghan and Harry have been working with the loved ones of victims. Given the unhinged rumors about Meghan that have circulated for years, they know what online harassment looks like.

Additionally, they have tried to use their platforms to promote positive changes that could make social media a safer place. Their goal is for politicians to implement helpful changes.

Unfortunately, many Americans — and others across the globe — fear that the Senate will do just the opposite.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attend the pre-closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 at Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 16, 2023. (Photo Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

Do Harry and Meghan really know what it’s like?

Obviously, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are both adult Millennials. They grew up with an evolving internet, but social media was in its infancy as they reached adulthood.

But they have witnessed vile hate campaigns. And Harry and Meghan have experienced targeted harassment by conspiracy theorist loons and grifters.

Being an adult millionaire is never the same as being a 14-year-old dodging cruel bullies, radicalization pipelines, predatory algorithms, and predatory men in online spaces. But that doesn’t stop them from caring about kids.

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex speak onstage at The Archewell Foundation Parents’ Summit: Mental Wellness in the Digital Age during Project Healthy Minds’ World Mental Health Day Festival 2023 at Hudson Yards on October 10, 2023. (Photo Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Project Healthy Minds)

Of course, caring about kids is something that most people can agree upon. It’s the details — like how to actually protect children — that matter more than the thought behind it.

The controversial Kids Only Safety Act would be a disaster, but the Senate is considering it. Even as platforms like CNBC cover how KOSA could harm minors and society as a whole, some people can’t get past the bill’s name — which, of course, is the point of the name.

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attend the closing ceremony of the Invictus Games Düsseldorf 2023 at Merkur Spiel-Arena on September 16, 2023. (Photo Credit: Chris Jackson/Getty Images for the Invictus Games Foundation)

Years ago, FOSTA/SESTA was a dangerous disaster, but it became law anyway. Now, many internet advocates worry that some genuinely good intentions could cause history to repeat itself with KOSA.

It’s important to note that Harry and Meghan’s public statement cheered on the Senate hearings — but made no mention of this deeply troubling potential law.

Advocating for children’s safety is a noble pursuit. It’s how we go about protecting kids that determines whether we’re making the world better … or just making ourselves feel like we did something helpful.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Address Senate Hearing on Child Safety: Protect Kids! was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.

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Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Address Senate Hearing on Child Safety: Protect Kids! was originally published on The Hollywood Gossip.”}]] 

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