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Prince Harry calls social media ‘threat to democracy’ after deadly Capitol riots

Prince Harry calls social media 'threat to democracy' after deadly Capitol riots
The Duke of Sussex said ‘we have seen time and again what happens when the real-world cost of misinformation is disregarded’ (Picture: REX/AP)

Prince Harry has hit out at social media for the role it played in the deadly US Capitol riots, naming the sites a ‘threat to democracy’.

The Duke of Sussex has warned ‘the stakes are too high, and time is running out’ for companies to address damaging misinformation.

He claims a false narrative of his and wife Meghan Markle’s relationship was ‘the mothership for all of the harassment’ they experienced, which would not have happened had their story been told truthfully.

Speaking in a new interview with Fast Company, the royal was asked if social media bosses like Twitter owner Jack Dorsey were right to choose who could use their platforms – likely referring to Donald Trump’s ejection from the site.

He replied: ‘We have seen time and again what happens when the real-world cost of misinformation is disregarded. There is no way to downplay this. 

‘There was a literal attack on democracy in the United States, organised on social media, which is an issue of violent extremism. 

‘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.

‘In a way, taking a predominately hands-off approach to problems for so long is itself an exercise in power.’

Britain's Prince Harry attends the 100 Women in Finance reception and gala dinner in aid of the WellChild charity at the Victoria and Albert Museum, in London, Wednesday Oct. 11, 2017. (Victoria Jones/Pool Photo via AP)
The royal has called on social media bosses to take more responsibility (Picture: AP)
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Lev Radin/Pacific Press/REX (11696121fs) Pro-Trump protesters confront police during rally around at Capitol building. Illegal invasion of Capitol building produced four death of protesters, 50 police officers were wounded and lots of property damaged. Pro-Trump Riot in Washington DC, District of Columbia, United States - 06 Jan 2021
Pro-Trump protesters confront police during a riot at the Capitol (Picture: Lev Radin/Pacific Press/REX)
epa08923722 Pro-Trump protesters storm the grounds of the East Front of the US Capitol, in Washington, DC, USA, 06 January 2021. Various groups of Trump supporters have broken into the US Capitol and rioted as Congress prepares to meet and certify the results of the 2020 US Presidential election. EPA/MICHAEL REYNOLDS
Pro-Trump protesters storm the grounds of the East Front of the US Capitol, in Washington, DC, USA, 06 January 2021 (Picture: EPA)
Mandatory Credit: Photo by Probal Rashid/ZUMA Wire/REX (11695732n) Security forces respond with tear gas after the US President Donald Trumps supporters breached the US Capitol security in Washington D.C., United States on January 06, 2021. Pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol as lawmakers were set to sign off Wednesday on President-elect Joe Biden's electoral victory in what was supposed to be a routine process headed to Inauguration Day. Trump Supporters Storm US Capitol, Washington, District of Columbia, U.S.A - 06 Jan 2021
Security forces respond with tear gas after Donald Trump supporters breached US Capitol security in Washington D.C., United States on January 06, 2021 (Picture: Probal Rashid/ZUMA Wire/REX)

He went onto warn ‘we are losing loved ones to conspiracy theories, losing a sense of self because of the barrage of mistruths, and at the largest scale, losing our democracies’.

The duke denied reports that he and the Duchess of Sussex had ‘quit’ social media, saying ‘we have no social media to quit, nor have we for the past 10 months’.

Discussing the abuse they received on social sites after they got together, he said it led them to think about others in more vulnerable positions around the world.

Prince Harry said social media ‘can offer a means of connecting and community’, adding that he has to be optimistic for a healthier online ecosystem for his son Archie.

Saying he still believes in the good of human beings, he added: ‘We look forward to being part of the human experience—not a human experiment.’

It comes after Meghan said she was the ‘most trolled person in the entire world’ in 2019.

Speaking to the Teenager Therapy podcast, she said: ’Eight months of that I wasn’t even visible – I was on maternity leave or with a baby. But what was able to be manufactured and churned out, it’s almost unsurvivable.’

MORE : Prince William says seeing people die as air ambulance pilot ‘traumatised’ him

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source https://metro.co.uk/2021/01/23/prince-harry-calls-social-media-threat-to-democracy-after-capitol-riots-13953281/

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