Tech billionaire Elon Musk’s social media platform X won a reprieve today after an Australian court refused to extend a temporary order to block videos of a Sydney church stabbing.
TakeAway Points:
- Today, an Australian court denied the extension of a temporary order preventing the blocking of recordings showing a stabbing incident at a Sydney church, giving Elon Musk’s social networking platform X a reprieve.
- The local media reports that a federal court judge has turned down an application from Australia’s internet safety watchdog, the eSafety Commissioner, to prolong an order to delete posts on X that depict the violent attack on a priest in April.
- Between Musk and the Australian government, which included Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, the incident led to a heated exchange.
Social Media Platform X Won a Reprieve
On Monday, an Australian court denied the extension of a temporary order preventing the blocking of recordings showing a stabbing incident at a Sydney church, giving Elon Musk’s social networking platform X a reprieve.
The local media reports that a federal court judge has turned down an application from Australia’s internet safety watchdog, the eSafety Commissioner, to prolong an order to delete posts on X that depict the violent attack on a priest in April.
The Sydney church Incident
During a sermon that was livestreamed and had hundreds of thousands of views on social media, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed.
After the attack, X was given a temporary court injunction by the nation’s eSafety Commissioner, requiring him to remove any posts containing video of the assault.
Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk contested the previous court decision, arguing that it violated his right to free expression.
“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.
Contention Over the Event
A heated argument broke out between Musk and members of the Australian government, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, over the event.
Albanese stated in a recent interview that Musk believes “he’s above Australian law” and called him out for his “arrogance.”
“The e-Safety Commissioner has made a ruling. The other social media platforms all complied without complaint. This is a measure that has bipartisan support in this country,” Albanese said at the time.
He went on, “This is not about censorship,” but rather “decency,” and Musk needs to “show some,” he added.
Musk replied by writing on X, saying, “I do not think I am above the law. Does the Prime Minister believe he ought to rule over the entire planet? addressing Albanese.
He went on to add that, “This platform abides by the rules of those countries, but it would be inappropriate to extend the rulings of one country to other countries.”
Australia’s Internet watchdog stated in a statement last month that it is difficult to get rid of harmful content entirely from the internet, especially because people keep reposting it.
Nevertheless, the eSafety Commissioner stated that “platforms must do everything possible and reasonable to minimise the harm they may do to Australians” in order to ensure online safety.
