Prince Harry says he ‘knows a thing or two about getting into trouble’ as he gives speech on keeping kids safe online

PRINCE Harry said he knows “a thing or two” about getting into trouble during a speech in New York.

Speaking at an event in New York yesterday for The Halo Trust, the Duke of Sussex, 40, spoke passionately about keeping kids safe online.

In a seeming nod to his antics in his younger days which prompted laughter in the audience, dad-of-two Harry said: “Some say kids will be kids and well, that may well be true. Kids may get into trouble.

“I know a thing or two about that. But our kids are being targeted. The harmful effects of social media are made by design.”

He went on to say: “These platforms are designed to create addiction.

“Young people are kept there by mindless, endless, numbing, scrolling, being force fed content that no child should ever be exposed to.

“I, like many of you, did not grow up with a phone. Young people today possess an incredible understanding of technology that older
generations may struggle to grasp.”

Harry continued: “Our laws and regulations are different, state to state, country to country.

“We may have different backgrounds, viewpoints, beliefs, and even access to the internet itself, but the one thing that we can universally agree on is the safety of our children.

“So why do the leaders of these insanely powerful social media companies still refuse to change? Why are we holding them to the lowest ethical standards?”

The dad-of-two also spoke about his new project with Meghan, The Parents Network.

It aims to support families who have lost children to online harm and social media.

He pulled out his phone from his inside jacket
pocket, said: “My lock screen is a picture of my kids. What’s yours?”

Heartwarming pictures of youngsters shown as images on mobile phone lock screens then appeared on the large screen behind Harry.

“These children and thousands more meant the world to their families,” he continued.

“Their beautiful faces you see before you, their
smiles, their dreams, all lost, all too soon, and all because of
social media.”

‘CARRYING ON HER LEGACY’

The Halo Trust is the landmine clearance charity supported by the late Princess Diana.

Diana was escorted through a cleared minefield in Angola by the trust in 1997 during the country’s civil war.

The visit sparked the signing of an anti-personnel landmine ban in Ottawa after her death later that year.

Harry then took a trip to the same site in 2019, as the Angolan government announced a 60 million dollar (£45 million) investment in clearing mines.

“The Halo Trust’s work in Angola meant a great deal to my mother,” he said.

“Carrying on her legacy is a responsibility that I take seriously.

“I think we all know how much she would want us to finish this particular job.”

The Halo Trust said up to 88,000 people may have suffered life-changing injuries from mines in Angola during and after the civil war, which raged from 1975 to 2002.

The Duke said Angola, under President Joao Manuel Goncalves Lourenco, had set the “gold standard” for their commitment to demining their country.

“This goes beyond just numbers, mines cleared and money allocated,” he said. “It’s about actual lives and actual progress.

“Africa, and Angola in particular, has an incredibly young population.

“For them, a world without mines must be a moral imperative for all of us.”

During the event, Harry met Angola’s Minister of External Relations Tete Antonio.

He said demining had made a “tremendous impact” on making land safe, unlocking investment and reuniting “fractured communities” across three decades of support from the Halo Trust.

Mr Antonio said: “Landmines continue to restrict access to agricultural land, which complicates our ability to develop large areas of the country and dissuades ecotourists from visiting.

“But that doesn’t mean we don’t have the potential, thanks to demining, to start exploiting such opportunities.”

It comes after Harry revealed what ‘gives him hope’ and honoured his mum while discussing mental health with two young winners of a legacy award in his Diana’s memory.

He appeared as part of the 14th Concordia Annual Summit, in support of The Diana Award.

Harry addressed The Legacy Award winners, Chiara Riyanti Hutapea Zhang from Indonesia, and Christina Williams from Jamaica.

The dad-of-two said: “I know that my mum would be incredibly proud of you guys, not just you, but all of the winners, and, Tessy – you’ve been in this for a very long time so thank you for that as well.

“But the way that you do it, your activism, your compassion, those two things are so true to how my mom led her life and what she believed in. And the way that you do it is incredible. So thank you.”

He also appeared at a private engagement with conservation group African Parks on Monday.

Next on his New York trip, Harry will continue to champion causes associated with his mother when he is one of the star guests, alongside former US president Bill Clinton, discussing finding solutions to global challenges.

Harry will join Mr Clinton, the former president’s daughter Chelsea Clinton, World Health Organisation director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, US broadcaster Katie Couric, and primatologist Jane Goodall at a session called Everything Everywhere All At Once at the Clinton Global Initiative’s annual meeting.

Other events will see the duke focus on Lesotho, the impoverished southern African country where he set up his Sentebale charity to support Aids orphans, and the Travalyst organisation, which aims to encourage the tourism sector to become more sustainable.

He will also attend the WellChild annual awards next Monday in the UK.