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He argued social media companies must make “meaningful commitments to change” in order to tackle abuse and extremism on their platforms. Harry specifically linked social media to the January 6 attack on the US Capitol building and the ongoing destruction of the Amazon rainforest.
The comments were made in an interview with business magazine Fast Company.
The Duke and Duchess have largely stayed off social media since stepping down as senior Royal Family members in March 2020.
Archewell, their charity, does have an Instagram account but no posts have been made for over a month.
Harry said: “We will revisit social media when it feels right for us—perhaps when we see more meaningful commitments to change or reform—but right now we’ve thrown much of our energy into learning about this space and how we can help.
“We will revisit social media when it feels right for us” (Image: GETTY)
Meghan and Harry stepped down as senior royals in March 2020 (Image: GETTY)
“I was really surprised to witness how my story had been told one way, my wife’s story had been told one way, and then our union sparked something that made the telling of that story very different.
“That false narrative became the mothership for all of the harassment you’re referring to.
“It wouldn’t have even begun had our story just been told truthfully.”
Before stepping down as frontline royals Harry and Meghan used their ‘Sussex Royal’ Instagram account to provide updates to their fans and promote charities.
READ MORE: Prince Harry promises social media return with Meghan Markle
Harry and Meghan closed their ‘Sussex Royal’ Instagram last year (Image: GETTY)
However following discussions with other family members they agreed to drop the brand when they stepped down as senior royals in 2020.
Meghan also had a popular lifestyle blog, The Tig, which she started prior to meeting Prince Harry.
She used the site to provide tips on a range of subjects including fashion, cooking, and mental wellbeing.
On January 6 Congress was stormed by hundreds of angry Trump supporters in violence that left five people dead.
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Harry called for more “accountability” from social media companies (Image: GETTY)
Trump supporters stormed Congress on January 6 (Image: GETTY)
The agitators were promoting outgoing president Donald Trump’s claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him via fraud.
This accusation has been repeatedly rejected by US courts and independent election analysts.
Harry directly linked this incident to the power of social media.
He said: “There was a literal attack on democracy in the United States, organised on social media, which is an issue of violent extremism.
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“It is widely acknowledged that social media played a role in the genocide in Myanmar and was used as a vehicle to incite violence against the Rohingya people, which is a human rights issue.
“And in Brazil, social media provided a conduit for misinformation which ultimately brought destruction to the Amazon, which is an environmental and global health issue.”
Following the attack President Trump had his Twitter account permanently suspended.
The social media platform argued he could use his account to incite more unrest if allowed to remain.
Five people died during the attack on Capital Hill (Image: GETTY)
Harry argued tech giants need to be more accountable to prevent abuse of their platforms.
He stated: “The answer I’ve heard from experts in this space is that the common denominator starts with accountability.
“There has to be accountability to collective wellbeing, not just financial incentive.
“It’s hard for me to understand how the platforms themselves can eagerly take profit but shun responsibility.”
