Archewell Philanthropies, the charitable organization of Prince Harry and Meghan, is urging Congress to act on AI deepfake legislation and accusing Big Tech of retaliating against child safety measures.
The charitable arm of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, is pressing U.S. lawmakers to advance stalled legislation targeting AI-generated deepfakes, accusing major technology companies of retaliating against efforts to protect children online.
Archewell Philanthropies published a statement on the couple's official website titled "Can we all agree technology..." in which the organization called out what it described as Big Tech retaliation "against basic safety measures to keep children safe."
The statement specifically flagged the slow pace of legislative action on Capitol Hill, with the organization noting that "more bills are sitting, waiting" — a characterization underscoring the gap between the volume of proposed deepfake-related legislation and the number of measures that have advanced to a vote.
The push comes amid a broader national debate over how artificial intelligence tools capable of generating realistic synthetic media should be regulated, particularly when minors are involved. Deepfake technology has drawn increasing scrutiny from child safety advocates, who argue that existing federal law has not kept pace with the rapid proliferation of AI-generated content.
Archewell Philanthropies framed its appeal in terms of child safety, positioning the inaction of technology platforms as a deliberate effort to stymie protective measures rather than a byproduct of regulatory complexity.
The organization's statement did not name specific companies or identify which pending bills it was urging lawmakers to prioritize. It also did not detail what form of retaliation it alleged Big Tech had engaged in.
The intervention by a high-profile charitable organization adds a new dimension to the deepfake policy debate, which has largely been driven by advocacy groups, academic researchers, and a handful of lawmakers. Whether the visibility of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will accelerate congressional movement on the issue remains to be seen, though the statement signals that the campaign is expanding beyond traditional policy circles.
Congress has seen a wave of AI-related bills introduced over the past two years, but few have cleared committee, reflecting disagreements over scope, enforcement mechanisms, and the appropriate role of federal versus state regulation. The Archewell appeal reinforces pressure on legislators to move beyond the introduction stage on measures targeting synthetic media.
Marc Sabatini is a staff writer at TechEchelon covering enterprise software, cybersecurity, and the regulatory beats that shape both. He focuses on the deal flow and policy decisions that move markets.
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