Prince Harry broke out of his silence. He said Tuesday that he had “warned” the boss of Twitter that his platform was playing a dangerous role in mobilizing pro-Trump extremists, the day before the Capitol riots in Washington on January 6.
“We exchanged emails with Jack (Dorsey)”, the boss of the social network, told the British prince during an online conference organized by Wired, an American magazine specializing in technology. “I warned him that his platform was letting (users) organize a coup,” he continued. “This email was sent the day before and I haven’t heard back from it since.”
“The Internet is becoming a den of hatred, division and lies”
“The Internet is becoming a den of hatred, division and lies. It’s not normal. Especially for anyone with children, ”he continued during a discussion of disinformation. “As human beings, as individuals with the capacity to make choices and make decisions, they might worry a little more about the safety of people,” he said.
Twitter declined to comment on Prince Harry’s comments.
Five people killed in the assault on the Capitol
At the end of 2020, the false rumor of rigged elections, hammered out by former US President Donald Trump, fueled the anger of many conservatives and conspirators. Hundreds of them swarmed Congress during Joe Biden’s certification of victory on January 6. Five people were killed during or shortly after the attack.
All, aware of the risks, had already taken measures to try to curb disinformation and recruitment by far-right organizations. They were deemed largely insufficient by many elected officials and NGOs.
In the process, Facebook, Twitter and other major platforms have banned Donald Trump and the extremist movements involved in the riots.