Meghan Markle SLAMMED For Plagiarizing Netflix's Documentary In Recent Virtual Talk
The internet won't just give the Duchess of Sussex a break. In a recent Meghan Markle news, the actress-turned-royal is being slammed online for allegedly copying the context from a hit Netflix documentary and used it on her most recent speaking engagement.
On October 14, Meghan Markle virtually attended "Fortune's Most Powerful Women Next Gen Virtual Summit," where she served as the featured speaker.
Together with sixty other powerful women in the media industry, the 39-year-old Duchess talks about taking the lead on the global stage. But aside from discussing leadership, Meghan's speech at the $1,750-worth virtual conference also spoke about the dangers of social media.
While others applauded Meghan Markle taking a stand against social media's adverse effects, others got a little critical with some of the points that the Duchess raised.
During her speech, Meghan made a bold comparison between social media users and drug addicts.
"There is very little in the world where you call the person who engages with her as a 'user.' People who are addicted to drugs and people on social media," Meghan said.
Critics noticed that Meghan's quotable quote is similar to the one mentioned in the hit Netflix documentary called "The Social Dilemma." The investigative documentary released on the streaming giant last month talks about the "dangerous human impact of social networking," featuring technology experts who were also alarmed with their own inventions.
In the 1 hour 30 minute Netflix original, statistician Edward Tufte said: "There are only two industries that call their customers' users': illegal drugs and software."
Meghan Markle's Casual Plagiarism?
Shortly after Meghan's virtual appearance, social media users flock to Twitter to point out her statement's similarities to the documentary and accused her of plagiarism.
Others also said that the Duchess has "ripped off" the documentary by citing the thoughts raised on their production without giving enough credit.
"[Meghan] ripped off the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma theory about users being like drug addicts and had the cheek to say she hasn't been on it for years?" one Twitter user wrote.
Another one noted: "Meghan: Queen of Unoriginal Ideas."
"Someone clearly watched The Social Dilemma recently," another user added.
Meanwhile, other users shared a screenshot taken from the documentary, proving that the statistician featured on the show was the first to make such a comparison between social media users and drug addicts.
Other Lines Inspired By "The Social Dilemma"
But wait, there's more. Aside from the drug addict and social media user comparison, viewers also noticed how Meghan made other references to the hit Netflix program.
Meghan said: "For so many people (social media) is an addiction," while the show repeatedly noted that "social media is a drug."
The Duchess also concluded her speech by saying: "There is something algorithmically that is in there that is creating this obsession that I think is very unhealthy for a lot of people."
In "The Social Dilemma," one expert suggests that "The algorithm is getting better at keeping us on screen."
