Prince Harry is sure that the misinformation spread through social media was a key component in planning the riot in the January 6 US chapter.
The Duke of Sussex claims in a new question and answer to Fast Company that “the dominant online platforms have contributed to and created the conditions for a crisis of hatred, a crisis of health and a crisis of truth.”
“We lose loved ones because of conspiracy theories,” he continued, “losing our sense of self because of the barrage of mistakes and, on the largest scale, losing our democracies.”
When asked about the “well-documented online harassment” he and his wife Meghan Markle experienced while in the UK, Harry said that false reports circulating on social media contributed greatly.
“I was really surprised to see how my story had been told in a way, my wife’s story had been told in a way, and then our union triggered something that made the story of that 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 really been told. ”
Harry also addressed technology giants such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook, which banned former President Trump, and although he did not directly mention Trump, he believes corporations have every right to regulate those they feel are misuse the platform.
“We have seen countless times what happens when the real cost of misinformation is not taken into account,” he continued. “There is no way to minimize this. There has been a literal attack on democracy in the United States, organized on social media, which is a problem of violent extremism. ”
Last week, it was reported that Harry and Meghan will probably give up all social networks because of the “hatred” they received.