Prince Harry is certain that the misinformation spread over social media was a key component in planning the January 6 riot in the United States capital.
The Duke of Sussex argues in a new question and answer session by Fast Company that “the dominant online platforms contributed to and fueled the conditions for a crisis of hatred, a crisis of health and a crisis of truth”.
“We are losing loved ones to conspiracy theories,” he continued, “losing their sense of identity because of the flood of untruths and, on a larger scale, losing our democracies.”
When asked about the “well-documented online harassment” that he and his wife Meghan Markle experienced while in the UK, Harry said that false reports circulated on social media contributed a lot.
“I was really surprised to witness how my story was told in one way, my wife’s story was told in one way, and then our union generated something that made the story of this story very different,” he said.
“This false narrative has become the mother ship of all the harassment you are referring to. It wouldn’t even have started if our story had been told with sincerity. “
Harry also addressed technology giants such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, banning former President Trump, and although he did not mention Trump directly, he feels that corporations have every right to regulate those who feel they misuse technology. platform.
“We have repeatedly seen what happens when the real cost of disinformation is disregarded,” he continued. “There is no way to minimize this. There was a literal attack on democracy in the United States, organized on social media, which is a matter of violent extremism. “
Last week, it was reported that Harry and Meghan are likely to leave social media due to the “hatred” they received.