Meghan Markle accused of plagiarism in social media speech

It seems like Meghan Markle really is just like us – she too watched the trending Netflix doco The Social Dilemma.

And it seems like it really made an impression on her.

Meghan is now being accused of plagiarism, after she repeated sentiments similar to the core of the series, in a speech at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Next Gen Virtual Summit this week.

The Social Dilemma is a “wake-up call” documentary that explores the dynamic and sometimes dangerous relationship humans and social media have with each other.

When Meghan appeared at the Fortune event (which was $US1750 a ticket to attend), she revealed – much to the shock of her 1.9 million Instagram followers – that she doesn’t use social media anymore.

She revealed the Sussex Royal Instagram account, for her and husband Prince Harry, was actually ran by an office team. And she closed her own personal accounts shortly before her engagement.

“I have, for my own self preservation, I have not been on social media for a very long time,” Meghan revealed.

• Related: Meghan faces setback in UK tabloid battle

“Then we had one through the institution in our office in the UK. That wasn’t managed by us, that was a whole team.

“That comes with the territory for the job, I have made a personal choice to not have any account so I don’t know what’s out there and for many ways that’s helpful for me.

“I have a lot of concerns for people that have become obsessed with it and so much a part of our daily culture for so many people that it’s an addiction, like many others very things in this world.”

OK, that’s fine – she is a busy lady after all.

It’s what she said next that got tongues wagging and fingers hitting keyboards.

Likening social media users to drug addicts, she said:  “There are very few things in the world where you call the person who’s engaging with it a ‘user’. People who are addicted to drugs and people on social media.”

That’s eerily similar to terminology used in the documentary, when statistician Edward Tufte says: “There are only two industries that call their customers “users”: illegal drugs and software.”

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50 years ago, women in Britain won the right to equal pay. That monumental moment began with one courageous and inspiring group of women in a factory in Dagenham, England. In 1968, facing a pay settlement that declared them less skilled than men, the sewing machinists of the Ford Motor Company walked out on strike. In the face of great pressure, they stood firm, and two years later the UK Parliament was forced to pass the Equal Pay Act, protecting and supporting working women ever since. To mark International Women’s Day, The Duchess of Sussex visited Dagenham to meet with Geraldine Dear, one of the strikers, and spend time with students at the Robert Clack Upper School to meet the town’s next generation of female role models, and talk to young women and men about the women who inspire them. • “Being in Dagenham is incredibly profound. Because as you can see with Geraldine and the other women who had the strength to really stand up for something that they knew needed to be done. This is the best example of no matter how small you might feel, how low you may feel on the ladder or the totem pole, no matter what colour you are, no matter what gender you are, you have a voice, and you certainly have the right to speak up for what is right.” – The Duchess of Sussex A lifetime advocate and campaigner for gender equity, The Duchess joined a special assembly to celebrate this remarkable local story, as well as recognise the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of all women around the world. #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2020 #EachForEqual Photo © The Duke and Duchess of Sussex / Chris Allerton

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It is one of the most-watched documentaries on streaming services at the moment, so it’s understandable it’s resonated with the former Duchess, right?

But according to Twitter, she’s plagiarising.

“Meghan plagiarises so casually, it’s become laughable now,” said one tweet.

“Someone clearly watched The Social Dilemma,” another said.

Meghan’s social media revelation comes as she and Prince Harry revealed the “almost unsurvivable” online abuse that’s been thrown as them.

“I’m told that in 2019 I was the most trolled person in the entire world, male or female. Now, eight months of that I wasn’t even visible, I was on maternity leave or with a baby,” Meghan said, in a bid to shine a light on World Mental Health Day.

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