Prince Harry urges EU to make tech firms prove apps are safe for children
What happened
Prince Harry spoke at the European Parliament in Brussels on Tuesday, calling on technology companies to prove that their apps are safe for children. He argued that the responsibility for child safety online should fall on the companies, not on parents. During his remarks, he criticized features like infinite scroll for being addictive and referenced ongoing legal challenges by Meta, Google, and TikTok against California's child protection law. The event coincided with the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial, which honors children whose deaths have been linked by their parents to harm on social media.
Key details
- Prince Harry addressed the European Parliament on Tuesday in Brussels.
- He spoke at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial, which displays oversized smartphones with photos of children.
- The EU Kids Act, proposed in September, would ban social media for children under 13.
- California's AB 1709 law, challenged by Meta, Google, and TikTok, restricts features like infinite scroll and autoplay for users under 16 starting January.
- Harry highlighted that some parents waited up to eight years to access their deceased child's phone due to privacy policies.
Why it matters
Technology companies operating in the EU may face stricter requirements to demonstrate the safety of their products for children if lawmakers adopt measures like those Prince Harry supports. Parents could see a shift in responsibility away from themselves and toward companies, potentially changing how online safety is regulated. Social media firms are already contesting similar laws in California, which could affect their operations and legal obligations in other regions.