Prince Harry says social media caused US Capitol riot

On Friday, Prince Harry’s interview with Fast Company which is in question and answer format was published. He criticized the role of social media and also said it is responsible for the US Capitol riot.

The Duke of Sussex stressed on reforming the tech world. He stated, “There has to be accountability to collective well-being, not just financial incentive. It’s hard for me to understand how the platforms themselves can eagerly take profit but shun responsibility”.

The 36-year-old also shared that he and wife Meghan Markle would return to social media when it’s right for them. “We will revisit social media when it feels right for us—perhaps when we see more meaningful commitments to change or reform—but right now we’ve thrown much of our energy into learning about this space and how we can help”.

According to Harry, social media is the reason behind all the confusion and violence.

“I was really surprised to witness how my story had been told one way, my wife’s story had been told one way, and then our union sparked something that made the telling of that story very different. That false narrative became the mothership for all of the harassment you’re referring to. It wouldn’t have even begun had our story just been told truthfully,” he stated.

“There was a literal attack on democracy in the United States, organized on social media, which is an issue of violent extremism,” he added.

“It is widely acknowledged that social media played a role in the genocide in Myanmar and was used as a vehicle to incite violence against the Rohingya people, which is a human rights issue. And in Brazil, social media provided a conduit for misinformation which ultimately brought destruction to the Amazon, which is an environmental and global health issue,” he further added.

Harry also suggested reform of digital space as he thinks it would reduce the violence around the world.