The Duke and Duchess of Sussex celebrated the move as a “welcome step forward”.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle during a Scar Tree Walk on April 16, 2026 in Melbourne, Australia.Credit : Asanka Ratnayake/Getty

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are reacting to big news in the U.K. involving youth and technology.

On June 15, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a statement praising British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s announcement that young people under age 16 will be banned from major social media platforms, including TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.

“We welcome the U.K. Government’s announcement of new measures to better protect children online,” began the statement from Prince Harry, 41, and Meghan, 44, about the monumental decision in his home country.

“The stories shared through The Lost Screen Memorial remind us that behind every debate about technology and regulation are real families whose lives have been forever changed,” the couple continued, referring to The Lost Screen Memorial from their charity, Archewell Philanthropies. “While measures such as these may help reduce harm, they do not fix the problem at its source. Lasting change requires safer platforms by design, meaningful accountability, and a commitment to putting children’s wellbeing ahead of engagement and profit.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex argued that “The burden cannot rest solely on parents and children” and the responsibility of safer tech “must also be borne by the companies.” The couple are parents to two young children, Prince Archie, 6, and Princess Lilibet, 4.

“Until then, every day without meaningful change is another day that children remain exposed to preventable harm,” they said. “Stronger protections are better than inaction, and today’s announcement is a welcome step forward.”

Harry and Meghan responded on the same day that British premier Starmer announced the decision, which the Associated Press reported is expected to take effect next year. The move puts the U.K. on track to join Australia, Canada, Brazil and Indonesia in introducing such legislation or regulating children’s access to online content, and Britain’s ban will apply to TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube.

Prince Harry and Meghan have made advocating for a safer online world a focus of their charitable work since stepping back from their royal roles in the U.K. and moving to the U.S. in 2024, their charitable Archewell Foundation, which was renamed Archewell Philanthropies late last year, unveiled The Parents’ Network as a resource and community for families who lost a child to social media-driven suicide or whose children have struggled because of online harms.

In partnership with The Parents’ Network, Archewell introduced the Lost Screen Memorial in New York City in April 2025 as part of the No Child Lost to Social Media campaign.

While Archewell has since transferred the Parents Network to the nonprofit ParentsTogether, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have continued their mission to protect children from online harms. In May, Meghan attended the unveiling of the Lost Screen Memorial in Geneva ahead of the kickoff of the 79th World Health Assembly.

Meghan Markle speaks during the inauguration of ‘The Lost Screen Memorial’ exhibition on the Place des Nations in front of the European headquarters of the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland on May 17, 2026.CYRIL ZINGARO/EPA/Shutterstock

She began her speech there by stating that safe online spaces are “not simply a technology issue,” but a “public health issue,” and called on the global community to install greater safeguards for the next generation.

In March, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex applauded a a Los Angeles jury’s ruling that found Meta and YouTube liable for negligence in a landmark social media addiction case, describing the call as a turning point for families.

SOURCE: https://people.com/meghan-markle-prince-harry-respond-uk-landmark-decision-kids-11998241