William blasts tech giants over social media ‘poison’
William and Kate meet app designer Alex Jones with BBC director-general Tony Hall, right, and the director of BBC Children’s, Alice Webb, left, at its London HQ yesterday THE Duke of Cambridge criticised social media giants yesterday for failing to tackle fake news, privacy intrusion and online bullying of children.
In his hardest-hitting speech to date, Prince William said amid their huge success, “they cannot hear the growing concern from their users”.
Earlier, in the Music Room at Buckingham Palace, the future King told members of his Taskforce on the Prevention of Cyberbullying that he was winding up the group at a meeting attended by about 30 representatives of tech firms and others.
Aides said he would continue working with the BBC and gaming companies, but that tech giants – including Facebook, Google, Apple, Snapchat, and Twitter – had proved reluctant to act.
Abuse
“They weren’t willing to do anything that didn’t involve their own branding,” one aide said.
William, who began campaigning about online bullying after meeting families whose children had committed suicide, accused social media giants of being “on the back foot” in tackling abuse.
He said in a speech at the BBC: “I believe that our tech leaders are people of integrity who are bringing many benefits to our lives and societies.
“I am very concerned though, that on every challenge they face – fake news, extremism, polarisation, hate speech, trolling, mental health, privacy, and bullying – our tech leaders seem to be on the back foot. Their self-image is so grounded in their positive power for good that they seem unable to engage in constructive discussion about the social problems they are creating.”
He added: “The noise of shareholders, bottom lines and profits is distracting them... They are so proud of what they have built that they cannot hear the growing concern from their users.”
He said technology firms “still have a great deal to learn” about their responsibilities and he challenged them to fight harder against poison spread online.
William, accompanied by the Duchess of Cambridge, met BBC director general Tony Hall after they had been invited to the corporation to try out a new internet anti-bullying app.
He said much of the widespread optimism when the internet first became a staple of life over a decade ago had given way to concern and fear.
“We have seen that the technology that can allow you to develop an online community around a shared hobby or interest can also be used to organise violence.
“The new ways we have to access news from across the world are also allowing misinformation and conspiracy to pollute the public sphere,” he said.
“And the apps we use to make new friends can also allow bullies to follow their targets.” The Duke and Duchess leaving the BBC yesterday following William’s speech