Harry, Meghan issue update on children safety after Archie, Lilibet moment

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, who are parents to Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, issued an important message concerning the well-being of children in a new statement.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex via their Archewell foundation – founded in 2020 after exiting their senior royal positions in 2020 – have been fierce advocates of children safety especially in the online space.

The couple has started several initiatives to offer support to children who experience cyber-bullying and harm, and offer assistance to parents in dealing with difficult situation.

The foundation on Monday released a statement as it is “highlighting Accountable Tech who recently published a study highlighting gaps in recent protections put in place for teens on Instagram”.

The report points out “inconsistencies in the application of settings” for Instagram Teen accounts and “sensitive content” within Meta’s framework which includes “sexualised content and alcohol-related content reaching all the teen accounts used in the experiment”.

The study urged for access to data for independent researchers so that improvements can be made for better safety.

“The Archewell Foundation believes the technology in our families’ lives should be safe by design. Safety by design is an approach to child online safety that prioritizes accountability, user empowerment, and transparency,” the statement read.

“Around the world, young people, parents, and advocates are building a better online world by pushing for tech accountability and innovation developed with safety in mind,” it continued.

“The Archewell Foundation is committed to uplifting their wins.”

The update comes as Meghan and Harry celebrated their seventh wedding anniversary on Monday. The Duchess of Sussex had marked the occasion with a special mood board with featured special highlights from their time together.

It also included an adorable moment between Archie, six, and Lilibet, three, in a rare photo. The Sussexes, who have been very particular about not revealing the faces of their children online, once again made sure that clear features were not depicted.

The two siblings were captured in 2022, when Archie was three and Lilibet was only one. The big brother was seen giving a sweet kiss on sister's forehead in what appeared to be a Christmas time in the Sussex household.