Despite returning to social media earlier this year, Meghan Markle continues to conceal the faces of her two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, by placing emojis over their features. In June, during the family’s trip to Disneyland for Lilibet’s fourth birthday, photos showed both children’s faces hidden behind heart stickers.
Meghan, who shares Archie, 7, and Lilibet, 4, with Prince Harry, has spoken openly about wanting to shield them. “All you want to do as parents is protect them,” she told CBS, adding that she and Harry are determined to be part of “change for good” in the online space.
Experts raise concerns over AI
However, cybersecurity specialists warn that emojis offer little real protection. Lisa Ventura, founder of Cyber Security Unity, told The Independent: “Putting an emoji over a child’s face provides virtually no real privacy protection whatsoever.”
She explained that while the face is hidden, other details — such as body build, clothing, or surroundings — can reveal age, school, and even location. When multiple posts are combined, AI can build a detailed profile of a child over time.
Cybersecurity strategy manager Bharti Lim echoed the warning, adding that parents should avoid sharing any videos of children speaking. “Technology is amazing at what it can produce, but it can also be used for the wrong things,” she said.
A wider celebrity trend
Meghan is not alone in using emojis to shield her children online. Other high-profile parents, including Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, as well as Orlando Bloom and Katy Perry, have adopted the same approach. Experts caution, however, that stronger measures may be needed to keep children truly safe in an era of fast-moving AI.