Elon Musk's X Platform and the Australian Government Clash Over Content Removal
Elon Musk's social media platform, X, is facing a legal battle with the Australian government over its refusal to remove graphic content, including videos of the recent Sydney stabbings.
The eSafety commissioner issued a take-down notice for the X posts, but Musk has pledged to fight the order, calling it a "demand for global content bans" by Australia's "censorship commissar."
X initially hid the content in Australia but made it visible to users who obscured their location using a VPN. This prompted the eSafety commissioner to take legal action, arguing that X was defying the law.
The federal court granted a two-day injunction, ordering X to hide the material worldwide pending further consideration. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese expressed concern over X's initial non-compliance and its attempt to argue its case.
This is not the first time X has been involved in legal proceedings with the Australian government. In recent months, X refused to comply with a removal notice regarding harassment of an Australian World Health Organization panel member and was fined for failing to cooperate with a probe into anti-child-abuse practices.
The government is currently using all available powers through the eSafety commissioner and the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to address X's non-compliance. However, the government's online safety act, which gives the eSafety commissioner broad powers to remove harmful content, is facing delays and requires support from the opposition.
The government is also concerned about the spread of misinformation and disinformation online, particularly in the wake of the Sydney stabbings, where a man was wrongly named as the perpetrator on X. The government is seeking to strengthen the ACMA's powers to investigate and address harmful and false information on digital platforms.
The situation highlights the ongoing tension between social media platforms and governments over content moderation and the responsibility of platforms to protect users from harmful content. The outcome of the legal battle between X and the Australian government will have significant implications for online content regulation in Australia.