Australia’s online watchdog has withdrawn legal action against Elon Musk’s X regarding posts depicting a violent stabbing incident involving a Sydney priest.
“I have decided to discontinue the proceedings in the Federal Court against X Corp,” said eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.
The watchdog initially ordered X to remove approximately 65 video and audio clips of the April 15 attack in a church. X contested the commission’s authority to issue a global takedown order, arguing that geoblocking users in Australia would suffice.
Inman Grant defended the legal action, emphasizing the aim to prevent the violent footage from spreading and inciting further harm.
The disputed posts depicted Assyrian orthodox Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel being stabbed during a livestreamed sermon, leading to community tensions.
A 16-year-old has been charged with committing a terrorist act in connection with the attack, believed to be religiously motivated.
The eSafety Commissioner highlighted the inconsistency in allowing such graphic material online while it would not be permitted on television, questioning its accessibility to all, including children.
While X routinely removes content globally, other major platforms, including Meta, Microsoft, Google, and TikTok, complied with removal requests related to the church attack due to violations of their terms of service and decency standards.
Inman Grant welcomed a merits-based review of her decision by the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, following the setback in the Federal Court last month.
