January 14, 2025

Meghan And Harry Say Meta’s Changes Undermine Free Speech

Prince Harry and Meghan

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have raised their concerns over Meta ending its fact-checking system, arguing that the changes directly undermine free speech.

What are Meghan and Harry’s Concerns?

“Contrary to the company’s talking points, allowing more abuse and normalizing hate speech serves to silence speech and expression, not foster it,” they said.

In a statement on their website, the pair accused the company of lacking integrity and believed the move was “responding to political winds; they once again abandon public safety in favor of profit, chaos, and control.” Meta’s new plans are not in line with its values and commitments to its users, which include families petitioning for change, according to the royals.

Harry and Meghan go on to speak about the importance of online safety and companies being resilient against pressures in corporate leadership. In the eyes of the couple, Meta has ignored any responsibility to ensure that power is not misused and “instead allowing either ego or profit, likely both, to guide decisions that affect billions.”

“We urge Meta to reconsider and reinstate policies to protect all users,” they shared. Prince Harry and Meghan called on leaders to uphold their commitments to the public and shared a list of organizations they will continue to support. This included organizations like the Center for Critical Internet InquiryParents Together5Rights FoundationAccountable TechHalfTheStoryThe Marcy Lab School, and the Responsible Tech Youth Power Fund.

How could Meta’s new move affect Black communities?

The Duke and Duchess concerns seem valid, as Meta’s new move could lead to increased ethnic and religious tensions in Nigeria, Techpoint reported. Shirly Ewang, Senior Specialist at Garfield, a public strategy and advocacy firm popular for its Forward with Facts campaign, explained that Nigeria currently has problems with misinformation.

“In the 2023 elections, for example, there were lies about some candidates that fuelled religious and ethnic tensions. Fact-checkers reported over 100 false claims daily on social media,” she said.

Additionally, The African Digital Democracy Observatory shared that disinformation was used to steer public opinion and promote specific political candidates, which already affects the democratic process. Ewang added that fake photos on social media triggered ethnic conflict in Plateau State, Nigeria.

Disinformation on social media in Nigeria contributed to exacerbating the farmers-herders conflict as fake stories were spread that intensified ethnic and religious tensions. Deceptive reports and edited images are frequently shared to frame local events as ethnic or religious attacks, which can create more problems.

Campaigners against hate speech online have criticized Meta’s shift as an attempt to shrug off responsibility for managing hate speech and disinformation on its platforms and raised concerns about the impact on people of color and other marginalized groups.


Image: Getty/Chris Jackson

Habiba Katsha

Habiba Katsha is a journalist and writer who specializes in writing about race, gender, and the internet. She is currently a tech reporter at POCIT.