Elon Musk pledged to contest Australian demands to remove videos of a recent Sydney church stabbing from his social media platform, X.
Australia’s Federal Court ordered the platform to take down videos of an Assyrian bishop being attacked within 24 hours. This followed a request from Australia’s eSafety Commission, claiming X had disregarded previous removal notices.
Musk criticized the watchdog, stating the content had already been restricted for users in Australia, pending a legal appeal, and was stored solely on US servers.
As the deadline neared, the videos were inaccessible to Australian users, except for those using VPNs or similar services. Musk argued that Australia was attempting to enforce a global ban.
“Our concern is that if ANY country is allowed to censor content for ALL countries, which is what the Australian ‘eSafety Commissar’ is demanding, then what is to stop any country from controlling the entire Internet,” Musk posted on X.
The issue will be revisited in court this week, with a judge considering whether to extend the interim injunction. A subsequent hearing will address the eSafety Commission’s request for a permanent injunction and civil penalties against X, according to an AFP spokesperson.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticized Musk, labeling him an “arrogant billionaire” who thinks he’s above the law.
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie went further, calling for Musk to be imprisoned, accusing him of lacking a conscience and deeming his actions “absolutely disgusting.”
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was reportedly attacked by a 16-year-old last week, sparking unrest among followers of the Assyrian Christian church in Sydney. Australian authorities attribute escalating tensions to videos of the incident circulating on social media.
Australia has been at the forefront of efforts to hold tech giants accountable for user-generated content, exemplified by the 2021 “Online Safety Act.”
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, a former Twitter employee, has clashed with X over violent and disturbing content. She has expressed concerns about increased “toxicity and hate” on the platform since Musk’s involvement.
The commission has also requested other companies, including Google, Snap, and TikTok, to remove the footage, which they complied with.
While acknowledging the challenges of removing harmful content completely, the commission insists that platforms must take practical steps to minimize harm to Australians and the community.
X was recently fined AU$610,500 (US$388,000) for failing to demonstrate how it tackles child sexual abuse content.
University of New South Wales law professor Rob Nicholls noted that the church stabbing case presents new legal challenges. While takedown orders have been issued in the past, compliance has been routine. Nicholls suggested that refining the law might be necessary to address such situations.
