In a world where social media often feels like the Wild West, Prince Harry stepped into Brussels with a message that could shake even the most stubborn tech titans: Don’t expose kids to risks that you wouldn’t tolerate for your own. On November 10, during a panel at the European Parliament, the Duke of Sussex didn’t hold back as he criticized the addictive nature of social networks and challenged their treatment of grieving parents. You have to wonder—under what cosmic sign are tech leaders operating if they can bypass common decency for profits?

But that’s not all! The conversation took a rather unexpected turn when Belgian politician Hilde Vautmans made a bold proposal, asking Harry to be the “godfather” of a worldwide coalition aimed at combating online harm. Who could have seen that coming? It’s like something you’d expect in a movie plot twist—how’s that for a plot twist in the tech discourse? With the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial preceding the discussion, the stakes have never felt higher. It’s a pivotal moment where not just parents but everyone in the room must step up to protect our children from a chaotic digital battleground that the industry seems all too comfortable with.

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So, what do you think? Are we ready to challenge these powerful influencers and make the internet a safer space for future generations?

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Prince Harry brought a blunt message to Brussels: Tech companies should not expose other people’s children to dangers they would reject for their own. During a November 10 panel at the European Parliament, the Duke of Sussex criticized social media’s addictive pull, questioned companies’ treatment of grieving parents and called for protections before harmful products reach children.

Then the discussion took an unexpected turn. Belgian politician Hilde Vautmans asked Harry to become the “godfather” of a worldwide parliamentary coalition fighting online harm.

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Harry joined the discussion, “Beyond Promises: Building A Digital Future That Works For Children,” after speaking at the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial. On the panel, his comments became sharper. He described social media’s addictive nature as “brainwashing on an extraordinary scale” and argued that protecting children should be a shared responsibility.

“Every single person in this room, whether parents or not, have a responsibility and a duty to be able to do what is effectively common sense and protect our children from these companies who clearly don’t care,” he said.

Harry also criticized the kind of online environment he believes powerful figures benefit from. He said a “handful of very powerful people” would like to see “the world as a social media world: lawless, low consequence, complete chaos, division, the loudest, most obnoxious voices get all of the attention.”

Harry Challenges Tech Executives Over Their Own Children

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One of Harry’s most pointed remarks addressed the people running the platforms. “Don’t put anything in front of our children that you wouldn’t put in front of your own children,” he said.

He followed that with a claim about how technology executives approach social media in their own homes. “I use that because the majority of these companies, they don’t let their children on social media because they know the dangers,” he added. “So why would you create something that you know is going to harm someone else’s child?”

Harry did not identify particular companies or executives in that comment.

He also emphasized that the Sussexes’ role was to help affected parents be heard. “You reference me in this, but my wife and I have merely given a platform to the parents so that you and everybody else around the world can hear their stories,” Harry said.

Grieving Parents’ Fight For Answers Fuels His Criticism

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Harry highlighted another painful issue: parents struggling to obtain information about what happened to their children online. “For many parents, even though their child killed themselves, they’ve had to wait years, in some instances, eight years, to get access to their child’s phone…” he continued. “Because of the company’s privacy policies, the parents were blocked from finding out how their child died. That cannot be right.”

The panel also heard from Lianna McDonald, executive director of the Canadian Center for Child Protection, about the volume of harmful material her organization encounters. McDonald said the organization issues between 10,000 and 20,000 removal requests a day to technology companies concerning child sexual abuse material on their services.

For Harry, responding after something has gone wrong is not enough. He urged the audience to focus on how platforms are built in the first place. “I will finish with saying that this whole mission has to be about safety by design,” he said. “By the time that it’s on the phone, in an app, in a kid’s hands, it’s already too late. We all know that.”

Belgian Politician Makes An Unexpected ‘Godfather’ Proposal

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Vautmans then turned directly to Harry with a request that went beyond his appearance on the panel. “Prince Harry, it’s against protocol, but I’m lack of protocol,” Vautmans said.

She explained that his presence could help bring attention to the campaign and open doors for those pursuing legislation. “You really convinced me, and we are going with that coalition, a coalition of all the parliamentarians worldwide,” she said. “But you know what? And that’s what I saw today, when a prince is entering a room, they’re opening doors. We get attention.”

Then came the proposal. “I think the coalition of the parliamentarians worldwide, we need a godfather, like every child,” she added. “Can we ask you to be the godfather of the coalition of all the parliamentarians worldwide? But that you help us to have the spirit to continue the fight until we have the legislation to combat the tech companies. That’s my question.”

Harry stood and approached Vautmans afterward, and the pair hugged.

Harry’s Brussels Appearance Builds On The Sussexes’ Campaign

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The panel followed the opening of the Lost Screen Memorial, which honors children and young people who died after experiencing online harm. Its smartphone-shaped light-boxes display lock screen photographs, bringing individual faces into a discussion often dominated by platforms, policies and legislation.

Harry and Meghan Markle previously unveiled the temporary installation in New York City in 2025. Meghan accompanied him to the Brussels opening but did not attend the later panel. Harry said the past year had brought “significant progress” in parents’ efforts against “these Goliath companies in America.”

Vautmans’ request raised the possibility of another role in that campaign. Whether he takes it on remains unconfirmed, but her appeal made clear that she wanted his involvement to continue beyond a single speech.

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