- Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan criticize Meta
- Zuckerberg ends fact-checking on Facebook
- Harry & Meghan warn against hate speech and abuse
Prince Harry (40) and Duchess Meghan (43) have strongly criticized Mark Zuckerberg (40) for Meta's decision to abolish its fact-checking program on Facebook and Instagram.
In a detailed statement published through the Archwell Foundation, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex express their concerns about the potential impact of this move on freedom of expression.
Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan criticize Meta
Harry and Meghan's statement reads: "It doesn’t matter whether your views are left, right or somewhere in between—the latest news from Meta about changes to their policies directly undermines free speech."
The abolition of the fact-checking program in favour of a "community notes" model, which allows users to add notes to posts, was described by Zuckerberg as a step toward reducing "censorship." However, critics worry this could normalize hate speech.
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Harry and Meghan warn against abuse and hate speech
The Sussexes also express concern: "Meta’s changes to its ‘Hateful Content Policies’ do not protect free expression but instead foster an environment where abuse and hate speech silence and threaten the voices of whole communities who make up a healthy democracy."
Harry and Meghan are urging Meta to reconsider: "We urge Meta to reconsider and reinstate policies to protect all users," they emphasize.
Calls for stricter moderation on social media are not new for the royal couple. Back in 2023, they organized a panel discussing mental health in connection with social media.
