Updated Aug. 3, 2026, 1:56 p.m. ET
LONDON – Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan are as soon as once more taking intention at Big Tech.
The royal couple, issued a scathing statement on their official web site, titled: “Can we all agree technology should not enable predators to target children?” which accused tech giants of placing revenue forward of the digital security of ladies and younger folks.
The statement, dated August 2026, started by praising the state of Minnesota for its latest resolution to outlaw AI “nudification” know-how. The ban handed unanimously in the Minnesota state Senate with a 65-0 vote, turning into the primary of its sort nationwide.
Meghan and Harry described the legislation as “an example of leadership fit for the digital age: a bi-partisan decision to stop technology from enabling predatory behavior disproportionately targeting women and children.”
The royal couple, with out naming Elon Musk instantly, slammed “the trillionaire leader of the tech company responsible for X’s Grok” for suing the state in a bid to “stop the law from going into place.”
A consultant for Musk didn’t instantly return a request for remark Monday, Aug. 3.
Last week, Musk’s synthetic intelligence firm, xAI, sued Minnesota over the ban and referred to as for the legislation to be blocked. The authorized grievance famous that the state had the suitable to dam AI from getting used to create sexualized content material however that the legislation “extends far beyond that goal” and was probably a violation of freedom of speech.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Minnesota informed USA TODAY that the ultimate model of the invoice wanted work.
“While we believe that creating images with AI technology — including sexual images — is protected by the First Amendment, courts have also recognized that the non-consensual creation and dissemination of such material can inflict damage on people appearing in those images, and courts have upheld narrowly tailored regulations under strict scrutiny,” the group stated in an emailed statement. “Laws like this one must address potential harms in a manner consistent with prior court decisions and the First Amendment.
“Minnesota’s model of the invoice doesn’t meet the mark,” the statement said.
Meghan and Harry accused xAI of “mitigating danger to their backside line as a substitute of aggressively responding to the clear proof their product options are enabling predators to prey on ladies and youngsters.”
Grok has come under widespread scrutiny specifically for its “Imagine” feature, which has been used to create sexualized deepfakes of people without their consent.
“Big Tech firms are elevating billions claiming AI will convey society ahead, but they retaliate against primary security measures to maintain youngsters protected,” the Sussexes’ statement said. “Can AI make our world higher whereas it allows the worst in people? Should our kids pay the value whereas we wait to search out out?”
In the Google Play retailer, xAI touts the Grok product as “designed to be maximally truthful, helpful, and curious.”
On Friday, July 31, a federal choose denied xAI’s request to dam of the legislation however stated a listening to can be held on Aug. 19 on whether or not to grant a preliminary injunction, NBC News reported.
Harry and Meghan have long expressed concern over the dark side of social media, along with the rapid development of AI tools. The pair say the issue of online safety is a global humanitarian issue and have spent years calling on platforms to implement better content-moderation policies and bolder online protections.
In 2024, the couple stated that they had been spending time with households of youngsters who had died or been negatively affected on account of social media.
“The finest parenting in the world can’t maintain youngsters protected from these platforms,” a statement from the royal couple, who share two children, read. Their statement came one year after they spoke on a panel in New York about the mental health challenges faced by young people who use social media.
“People are getting damage – and other people, particularly youngsters, are dying,” Meghan said during the panel discussion.
In 2021, Harry blamed social media for the assault on the U.S. Capitol, citing an “avalanche of misinformation” and a and “a barrage of mistruths” that he stated allowed conspiracy theories to thrive, threatening democracy with violence and dying.
