Duke of Cambridge accuses social media firms of being on the back foot over challenges

This article is more than 1 year old

This article is more than 1 year old

The Duke of Cambridge has called on the world’s leading social media companies to “reject the false choice of profits over values” and do more to counter cyberbullying and other problems they are creating.

Prince William expressed concern “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”.

“Technology companies still have a great deal to learn about the responsibilities that come with significant power,” William said, in a speech delivered at BBC Broadcasting House in London, to highlight Anti-Bullying Week.

Speaking about the Cyberbullying Taskforce he set up in 2016 to support young people and their families, he admitted he had been disappointed at the response by industry leaders.

“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 said.

Many positive things had been achieved through social media, he said, including connection, friendship, family and knowledge.

“Our tech leaders are people of integrity who are bringing many benefits to our lives and societies,” he said. But one of the unintended consequences was “a culture of defensiveness”.

William said he had convened the taskforce because of his concerns as a new parent, as an air ambulance pilot, and through his campaigning on mental health.

“The journey from inventors in the student dormitory to the leaders of some of the most valuable companies on earth has been so fast that they may struggle to understand that their incentives have changed.

“The noise of the shareholders, bottom lines, and profits is distracting them from the values that made them so successful in the first place.

“They are so proud of what they have built that they cannot hear the growing concern from their users.

“And increasingly, they seem resigned to a posture with governments and regulators that will be defined by conflict and discord.” He did not name any individual companies.

It did not have to be this way, he said. “You have powered amazing movements of social change. Surely together you can harness innovation to allow us to fight back against the intolerance and cruelty that has been brought to the surface by your platforms,” he said.

“You can reject the false choice of profits over values. You can choose to do good and be successful.”

At BBC HQ, he and the Duchess of Cambridge met young people who wrote and performed in a new campaign video for “Stop, Speak, Support”, a youth-led code of conduct to provide guidance on what to do when they witness bullying. The programme is being rolled out across schools.

William and Kate were at the BBC to launch the broadcaster’s new “Own it” app, which aims to help children getting their first smartphone to stay safe online.