Prince Harry called for more Big Tech censorship of COVID-19 vaccine “misinformation” during the 2021 British GQ Men of The Year Awards.
Harry, who appeared on a live stream from his house, used his time on the screen to call attention to the “less than 2 percent of people in the developing world [who] have received a single dose” of the COVID-19 shot. This “imbalance,” Harry said, along with “misinformation” in the news and on social media is holding the world back in the fight against the virus.
“At the same time, families around the world are being overwhelmed by mass-scale misinformation across ‘news’ media and social media, where those who peddle in lies and fear are creating vaccine hesitancy, which in turn is dividing communities and eroding trust,” Harry said. “This is a system we need to break if we are to overcome COVID-19 and the risk of new variants.”
It’s up to Big Tech companies, governments, and others, he said, to promote “science” and tamp down what he believes are false claims.
“For the rest of us — including global governments, pharmaceutical leaders, and heads of business — we have to keep doing our part. That must include sharing vaccine science and supporting and empowering developing countries with more flexibility,” Harry said.
“Where you’re born should not affect your ability to survive.”
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, gave an impassioned speech at an awards ceremony, pleading with governments and pharmaceutical companies to do more to vaccinate the world. https://t.co/G4KnTdXPcZ pic.twitter.com/Wyosd0wHu2
— ABC News (@ABC) September 2, 2021
This isn’t Harry’s first endorsement of a Big Tech-led crusade against any content he deems unacceptable. Harry joined the Aspen Institute in March intent on tackling “misinformation” with a new “Commission on Information Disorder” after he said he is frustrated by the “avalanche of misinformation” that is “affecting our ability as individuals as well as societies to think clearly.”
“It’s my belief that this is a humanitarian issue — and as such, it demands a multi-stakeholder response from advocacy voices, members of the media, academic researchers, and both government and civil society leaders,” Prince Harry said.
