Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are reacting to the Big Tech’s loss in court.
On Wednesday (March 25), a Los Angeles jury found Meta and YouTube liable for negligence in a landmark social media addiction case.
Following the verdict, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a statement celebrating the news, calling the outcome a turning point for families.
“This verdict is a reckoning,” the couple said in a statement to People. “For too long, families have paid the price for platforms built with total disregard for the children they reach. We stand with every parent and young person who refused to be silenced. Today, the truth has been heard and precedent has been set.”
If you didn’t know, Harry and Meghan advocate for online safety through their Archewell Foundation.
The couple also shared a longer statement on their website.
“Today’s verdict in Los Angeles and yesterday’s ruling in New Mexico are landmark victories for families, advocates, and young people everywhere—and a powerful message that justice has caught up to Big Tech,” they wrote. “After years of denial and deflection, a jury has confirmed what parents and experts have said all along: the harm isn’t in parenting, it’s in product design. The systems driving our social media platforms have been built to exploit, not protect, and accountability has finally arrived.”
“The products, design choices, and business models at the center of this trial weren’t theoretical—they were weaponized in ways that shaped how young people live, learn, and connect,” the statement continued. “This case pulled back the curtain on what we have long known: profit is prioritized over protection, transparency is sacrificed for engagement, and the costs fall on children and families.”
Harry and Meghan added, “In a stunning and unanimous decision, the jury found that Meta and Google were negligent—and that their negligence directly caused harm to a young woman known as Kaley. Even more powerfully, the jury concluded that their actions were carried out with malice, oppression, or fraud. In other words: this wasn’t an accident. It was a choice.”
“This verdict is a bellwether—a social media warning label for the world,” they wrote. “For the first time, a jury has said, unequivocally, that the way these platforms are designed can cause real harm, and that companies knew it.”
The legal case was brought by a young woman who alleged that the platforms were designed to be addictive, which had an impact on her well-being as she grew up. Jurors agreed with the plaintiff, finding that the companies’ actions played a substantial role in causing harm.
As part of the ruling, Meta and YouTube were ordered to pay $3 million in compensatory damages, with Meta responsible for 70% of the total, per People. The jurors also determined that Meta and Google should pay punitive damages tied to findings of malice or fraud, with the amount still to be decided.
It was recently announced that Harry and Meghan have a new show in the works at Netflix.
