Photo Credit: Getty Images
 
When visiting with students from Australia's Swinburne University of Technology, Meghan Markle spoke about the impact of long-term online abuse, saying she has experienced years of sustained harassment.
 
Addressing the issue, she said, "I can speak to that very personally," adding that listening to others is important because "this is, it rings very true for me in a very real way."
 
She went on to describe the extent of the abuse she says she has faced online, stating, "For 10 years, every day for 10 years, I have been bullied and attacked. And I was the most trolled person in the entire world."
 
She pointed to what she sees as a gap in responsibility within the industry noting that this is something she thinks about often, especially when it comes to younger people growing up online.
 
"When I think of all of you and what you're experiencing," the 44-year-old continued, "I think so much of that is having to realize that you know that industry, that billion-dollar industry, that is completely anchored and predicated on cruelty to get clicks—that's not going to change. So, you have to be stronger than that."
 
Prince Harry also spoke on the wider issue of social media regulation, saying that while platform bans are being introduced in some places, they should not be seen as the final answer. "Now we can sit here and debate the pros and cons of a ban. I'm not here to judge that," he said.
 
He added that from a leadership perspective, "epic because so many countries have now followed suit, but they should never have gotten to that. It should never, ever go to a ban."
 
Harry stressed that responsibility should fall on tech companies to create safer environments online. "And now, this ban is in place, now what follows? Because the companies themselves have to be accountable," he said.
 
He also raised concerns about restrictions on younger users, stating, "There's no way that young people should be punished or banned from something that should have been safe to use, no matter what."
 
He added that shared experiences highlight the widespread nature of the issue, saying, "no matter how isolated you are, there is going to be someone very close to you that has a similar experience."
 
Their comments come amid ongoing global debate about online safety, digital regulation, and the responsibility of social media platforms in addressing abuse.