Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to Senate Hearing: Protect Kids!

What did Meghan Markle and Prince Harry say to the United States Senate?

Even as Suits fans wonder if Meghan Markle will return to the hit drama series, she has more important things on her mind.

This week, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke as the US Senate delves into child safety in online spaces.

Children face added perils in the age of social media. The Senate is at risk of making it worse, but Meghan and Harry hope that they’ll make things better, instead.

The US Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on Wednesday, January 31, on the topic of online safety for children.

There is a lot at stake, including the safety of children and the well-being of the internet. Those aren’t mutually exclusive concerns, but there are some politicians treating it that way.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are not tech titans or politicians, but they released a not-quite-royal statement on the Senate hearings through the Archwell Foundation’s website.

“We applaud the bravery and determination of the thousands of parents around the country whose advocacy resulted in this hearing,” the Sussex couple wrote.

“Over the past few years, we have spent time with many of these families,” Harry and Meghan noted, “listening to their heartache and their hopes for the urgent change that is needed in the online space.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle know the stories that the Senate has heard

After referring to the Archewell Foundation’s work with grieving parents and with minors who are victims of harmful online content, Meghan and Harry’s statement continued.

“This is an issue that transcends division and party lines, as we saw today at the Senate hearing,” the couple affirmed.

“The best parenting in the world cannot keep children safe from these platforms,” Harry and Meghan lamented.

Together, both Meghan and Harry have been working with the loved ones of victims. Given the unhinged rumors about Meghan that have circulated for years, they know what online harassment looks like.

Additionally, they have tried to use their platforms to promote positive changes that could make social media a safer place. Their goal is for politicians to implement helpful changes.

Unfortunately, many Americans — and others across the globe — fear that the Senate will do just the opposite.

Do Harry and Meghan really know what it’s like?

Obviously, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are both adult Millennials. They grew up with an evolving internet, but social media was in its infancy as they reached adulthood.

But they have witnessed vile hate campaigns. And Harry and Meghan have experienced targeted harassment by conspiracy theorist loons and grifters.

Being an adult millionaire is never the same as being a 14-year-old dodging cruel bullies, radicalization pipelines, predatory algorithms, and predatory men in online spaces. But that doesn’t stop them from caring about kids.

Of course, caring about kids is something that most people can agree upon. It’s the details — like how to actually protect children — that matter more than the thought behind it.

The controversial Kids Only Safety Act would be a disaster, but the Senate is considering it. Even as platforms like CNBC cover how KOSA could harm minors and society as a whole, some people can’t get past the bill’s name — which, of course, is the point of the name.

Years ago, FOSTA/SESTA was a dangerous disaster, but it became law anyway. Now, many internet advocates worry that some genuinely good intentions could cause history to repeat itself with KOSA.

It’s important to note that Harry and Meghan’s public statement cheered on the Senate hearings — but made no mention of this deeply troubling potential law.

Advocating for children’s safety is a noble pursuit. It’s how we go about protecting kids that determines whether we’re making the world better … or just making ourselves feel like we did something helpful.