“There is no way to downplay this. There was a literal attack on democracy in the United States, organized on social media, which is an issue of violent extremism,” Harry said in an interview with Fast Company on Friday, referencing the January 6 storming of the Capitol, adding, “It’s hard for me to understand how the platforms themselves can eagerly take profit but shun responsibility.”
Though many Americans and Brits are becoming increasingly concerned about the power of Big Tech companies, social media users were quick to point out the irony of a literal prince calling out an “attack on democracy.”
“Whatever his good intentions might be, I do have a slight problem with an unelected prince being concerned about democracy and the legitimate status of those in power,”commented one user, while another wrote, “As an American, I do not want to hear from Harry about MY country. He has no idea what the Capitol means to us, to Democracy.”
One social media user also pointed out that Prince Harry’s ancestors “had to be convinced by a mob, long ago, to relinquish their absolute power.” Others accused him of having “nothing to offer except his birthright,” and quipped that one of the biggest threats to democracy is royalty.
But not everyone scolded the Duke of Sussex. Journalist Reham Khan praised Harry as “a great role model for younger people & society at large.”
Prince Harry and his American wife, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, officially broke away from the royal family in 2020 to focus on personal endeavors and live on their own independent incomes. The couple moved to California and have since become very vocal about politics and current affairs – traditionally a big no-no for members of the royal family.
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