Prince Harry calls out one addiction his European parliament audience couldn't quit

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited the European Parliament on November 10, 2026, to unveil the Lost Screen Memorial. There, Prince Harry spoke at a panel discussing the online safety of children. He highlighted how unsafe the world of social media and the internet in general has become for children.

Moreover, he added that the responsibility of making it safer lies with the tech companies and not the parents. Speaking on the issue, Prince Harry also addressed and called out one addiction his European parliament audience couldn't quit, something that is reflected in children as well.

Prince Harry addressed the root of the problem

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived in Brussels on November 10, 2026, to unveil the Lost Screen Memorial at the European Parliament. The installation, first introduced in New York last year by Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation, features 50 smartphone lock screens displaying photographs of children and young people who lost their lives due to online harm.

The Duke of Sussex was also part of a panel that discussed the issue of online safety of children. He spoke at the panel and became quite emotional at a moment while doing so. As Town & Country reported, speaking about the way social media can harm a child, Prince Harry said:

“Every time you look at your phone just remember there’s a child out there who’s looking at that phone twenty, thirty times more, probably considering taking their life because they don’t know how to escape."

While on the panel, at a different point, the Duke of Sussex called out one addiction his European parliament audience couldn't quit. He said:

"You know, it’s always been about addiction... The number of you who continue to look at your phones throughout this process is an example of that.”

Addressing the way children are similarly addicted to phones and how oblivious the adults have been to it, he said:

“we’ve all been asleep at the wheel”

As the Politico reported, Prince Harry also talked about his reservations regarding the privacy policies of numerous social media platforms. He spoke about them particularly because many such policies prevent parents of deceased children who died due to online cruelty from finding out what really caused their children's death.

The Duke of Sussex also emphasized the need for stricter rules when it comes to social media. He talked about the EU Kids Act, which the European Commission is working on under its Digital Services Act. He added that the responsibility of making sure that the online world is safe for children lies with the tech companies themselves and not with the parents.

Praising the EU proposal, which would restrict social media access for children under 13, the prince first referred to the companies' responsibility regarding the matter and said:

"the EU Kids Act is exactly that."

He also criticized Big Tech for letting the online environment become so unsafe that children and young individuals are prompted to end their lives. What Prince Harry pointed out in his statements reflects much of what's wrong with social media and its usage.

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