Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have shared support following the US Senate Judiciary Committee’s hearing on online safety for children.

They took to their Archwell Foundation website on Wednesday to share a statement following apologies from social media CEOs Mark Zuckerberg and Evan Spiegel.

“We applaud the bravery and determination of the thousands of parents around the country whose advocacy resulted in this hearing,” the Sussexes wrote.

The statement went on to remark on the foundation’s recent work with families, providing a support network for managing children’s serious mental health issues after exposure to harmful online content.

Harry and Meghan continued: “Over the past few years, we have spent time with many of these families, listening to their heartache and their hopes for the urgent change that is needed in the online space.

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Their statement concluded with a quote from the father of a child who had been impacted by harmful social media content: “If love could have saved them, all of our children would still be here.

“This is not the time to pass the buck of responsibility. It’s the time to make necessary change at the source to keep our children safe.”

At the hearing, Zuckerberg, 39, was informed of the staggering number of female minors who had been exposed to nudity on his social media platforms.

“I’m sorry for everything you’ve all gone through,” he said to the crowd in attendance.

“It’s terrible. No one should have to go through the things that your families have suffered.

“This is why we have invested so much and we are going to continue doing industry-wide efforts to make sure no one has to go through the things your families have had to suffer.”