The couple have been vocal advocates on the subject (Image: Getty)

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle appear to have been dealt another blow as they await news about the status of their security when in the UK. It has been reported that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have stepped back from their organisation, the Parents Network, which was set up to offer support to parents who have lost a child to online harm.

The couple, who have become vocal advocates for online safety and the dangers that social media pose to children, launched what was originally known as The Archewell Foundation Parents Network in 2024. However, the foundation now appears to have been handed over to ParentsTogether, an organisation which provides parents with resources when they are worried about the impact digital media is having on their children.

The pair have made several speeches and appearances in recent months to air their concerns about the dangers of social media and the impact of young people having such extensive digital access has on their development.

In April of last year, Harry spoke to the BBC about his concerns. He said: “We want to make sure that things are changed so that… no more kids are lost to social media. Life is better off social media.

“The easiest thing to say is to keep your kids away from social media. The sad reality is the kids who aren’t on social media normally get bullied at school because they can’t be part of the same conversation as everybody else. We’re just grateful that our kids are too young to be on social media at this point.”

Meghan added: “I think in many ways what we see through these parents is the hope and the promise of something better, because… they just want to make sure this doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

The couple have often spoken of their concerns (Image: Getty)

As well as supporting impacted families, the Duke and Duchess also backed calls to technology companies to allow grieving parents to be allowed access to information on the phones of children who have died. At the moment, some firms do not allow this, citing privacy concerns.

Harry told the BBC: “You are telling a parent, you are telling a dad and a mum that they can’t have the details of what their kid was up to on social media because of the privacy of their kid. It’s wrong.”

Last year, the couple also shared a message through their foundation to discuss Australia’s decision to ban under-16s from social media. While the couple praised the decision, they also declared: “It shouldn’t have come to this.”

Their message read: “We celebrate Australia’s leadership for seeing and acting on how these technology companies are negatively impacting young people with little to no recourse or accountability, and feeble efforts from the companies to stem the flow of harms.”

The couple’s statement came after it was announced that several social media sites faced fines of up to $49.5m (£25m) if they failed to take reasonable steps to disable the accounts of under-age users. Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described the move as “the day when Australian families are taking back power from these big tech companies”.