Meghan Markle accused of 'ripping off' Netflix doco in speech: 'She plagiarised!'

Meghan Markle made headlines this week when she compared social media users to drug addicts - but now she's been accused of "ripping off" the statement.

The Duchess of Sussex, 39, has come under fire for "plagiarising" a line from Netflix doco The Social Dilemma, which explores the dangers of social media, writes the Daily Mail.

Not long after Meghan spoke during Fortune's Most Powerful Woman Next Gen virtual summit yesterday, Twitter users pointed out that her comments about social media addiction were identical to the themes of the Netflix film.

"[Meghan] ripped off the Netflix documentary The Social Dilemma theory about [social media] users being like drug addicts and had the cheek to say she hasn't been on it for years?" one fumed.

Another added, "Meghan plagiarises so casually, it's become laughable now," another commented, while one added: "Someone clearly watched The Social Dilemma recently ..."

"Meghan plagiarised her quotes from the Social Dilemma from Netflix," another wrote, even sharing screenshots from the doco to point out one moment when statistician Edward Tufte is quoted.

"There are only two industries that call their customers 'users': illegal drugs and software," the quote reads.

Meghan warned against social media use in a virtual summit with Fortune. Photo / Fortune

Meghan said during her speech: "There are very few things in this world where you call the person who's engaging with it 'a user'. People who are addicted to drugs are called users and people who are on social media are called users."

The doco also says "social media is a drug", something Meghan echoed when she said she believes social media "has the same capacity" to cause addiction as drugs.

The documentary also looks at the ways in which internet algorithms encourage "addiction".

Meghan repeated this in her speech: "There is something algorithmically that is in there that is creating this obsession that I think is very unhealthy for a lot of people

"I have a lot of concerns for people that have become obsessed with it and it is so much a part of our daily culture for so many people that it is an addiction."