Prince Harry says he warned Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey of US Capitol riot

By DANICA KIRKA | The Associated Press

LONDON — Britain’s Prince Harry said helium warned the main enforcement of Twitter up of the Jan. 6 Capitol riots that the societal media tract was being utilized to signifier governmental unrest successful the U.S. capital.

Harry made the comments Tuesday portion helium was taking portion successful an online sheet connected misinformation successful California. He said helium made his concerns known via email to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey the time earlier the riot.

“Jack and I were emailing each different anterior to January 6 wherever I warned him that his level was allowing a coup to beryllium staged,” Harry said astatine the astatine the RE:WIRED tech forum. “That email was sent the time earlier and past it happened and I haven’t heard from him since.”

Twitter declined to remark connected Harry’s remarks.

Social media sites person travel nether occurrence for not doing capable to halt the dispersed of misinformation and inciteful content, and the storming of the U.S. Capitol by supporters of Donald Trump is often cited arsenic an illustration of the consequences of allowing hatred to fester. Big tech successful wide has been accused of putting maturation and profits up of nationalist safety.

Harry accused different societal media sites similar Facebook of misleading “billions of people” with misinformation astir COVID-19 and clime change. He besides targeted YouTube, saying galore videos spreading COVID-19 misinformation were near up contempt violating the site’s ain policies.

“And worse, they came to the users via the proposal instrumentality wrong YouTube’s ain algorithm versus thing that the idiosyncratic was really searching for,” helium said. “It shows truly that it tin beryllium stopped but besides they didn’t privation to halt it due to the fact that it affects their bottommost line.”

Harry was listed arsenic the co-founder of his nonprofit enactment Archewell astatine the tech forum. Earlier this twelvemonth helium joined the U.S. deliberation vessel the Aspen Institute arsenic a commissioner looking into misinformation and disinformation successful the media.

Harry and his wife, the Duchess of Sussex, announced successful aboriginal 2020 that they were quitting royal duties and moving to North America, citing what they said were the unbearable intrusions and racist attitudes of the British media.