Meghan, Duchess of Sussex: I was the most trolled person in the world
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex has opened up about being "bullied and attacked" on social media for the past 10 years during an event in Melbourne.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex claims that she was "the most trolled person in the entire world" on social media.
The 44-year-old royal told students at an event in Melbourne on Thursday (16.04.26) that she was "bullied and attacked" online every day for the past 10 years and suggested that platforms are "not incentivised" to take action against cruel trolls.
Speaking on the third day of her visit to Australia with husband Prince Harry, Meghan said: "For now, 10 years, every day for 10 years, I have been bullied and attacked. And I was the most trolled person in the entire world."
The former Suits actress – who was known as Meghan Markle before marrying Harry in 2018 – added: "Now, I'm still here.
"And when I think of all of you and what you're experiencing, I think so much of that is having to realise 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."
The couple, who stepped down as working British royals in 2020 before relocating to California, have long warned of the dangers posed by social media and Harry lauded Australia for taking the "epic" step of banning children under the age of 16 from using the platforms.
The Duke of Sussex said: "Your government was the first country in the world to bring about a ban. We can sit here and debate the pros and cons of the ban, I'm not here to judge that. All I will say from a responsibility and leadership standpoint – epic.
"Because so many countries have now followed suit, but it should have never got to that. And now the ban is in place, what follows?"
Harry, 41, acknowledged that there was "a lot there that's good" on social media but expressed concerns about the "rabbit holes" that users can fall down.
He said: "The problem is that once that gateway is open, you're also exposed to all of the bad as well. And it makes it really, really hard. It shouldn't be that way.
"You want to dip in, to find something, to connect with something, and before you know it, 45 minutes later, you've been doom scrolling, or you've been taken down a rabbit hole.
"Whether it's eating disorders, bullying, whatever it is... and you're just like, how is this happening? They're supposed to be there to help you."
