Prince Harry and Meghan Markle may be heading into a new challenge with President-elect Donald Trump following their recent criticism of Meta’s policy changes. The former Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a statement this week expressing their concerns about Meta’s decision to remove third-party fact-checking and ease content moderation.
In their statement, the couple accused Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, of “allowing more abuse and normalizing hate speech.” They called on the company to reverse its changes and encouraged businesses to prioritize creating safe online environments. The Sussexes also applauded leaders who stand firm against bullying, saying, “We applaud leaders who refuse to kowtow to bullying.”
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry claim they are ‘alarmed’ at META ditching woke DEI policies.
“We are particularly alarmed by plans to abandon commitments to diversity and equity, coupled with internal policy changes that undermine protections for marginalized communities.” pic.twitter.com/ggkSQNNTjV
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) January 14, 2025
However, public relations expert Nick Ede has warned that the couple’s outspoken stance could provoke a response from Trump, who is set to begin his next term as President. Speaking to Newsweek, Ede explained that Trump might see this as a confrontation he’s eager to win.
“There could be repercussions, especially when you’re poking a bear as big as Trump,” Ede said. “Trump will likely view this as a battle and could target them in his own way. We’ve seen how he operates, and he has already questioned how Prince Harry, after admitting to drug use in his memoir Spare, was able to gain US citizenship.”
The warning highlights the potential risks Harry and Meghan face as they continue to take public stands on global issues, particularly when their views conflict with influential figures like Donald Trump.
Mark Zuckerberg recently announced a shift toward prioritizing “free expression,” claiming fact-checkers had become “politically biased.” He revealed plans to move Meta’s content moderation team from California to Texas and ease restrictions on immigration and gender-related topics. Meta is yet to comment on how many employees will be relocated, though.
This is unprecedented because we genuinely can’t remember what was it like before since Meta’s policy was put in place before social media even got traction
In other words, it’s the first time we’ll have free speech for billions of people online. Chaotic
pic.twitter.com/36BAgfsWmS
— Alex Masmej (@AlexMasmej) January 7, 2025
In other news, Meghan Markle has rejoined Instagram (@meghan) after five years, but it must be noted that comments have been disabled on her posts. The former actress is set to be the central figure in her new Netflix series, With Love, Meghan. Originally scheduled for a January 15 premiere, the release has been pushed to March due to the Los Angeles fires.
On the other hand, Donald Trump is gearing up to take oath for his second term as President this coming Monday, in Washington, DC. Trump is yet to respond to Harry and Meghan’s statement on Meta’s new policy but experts suggest he might soon chime in on their public criticism.
