Australia has abandoned a legal battle to have graphic footage of a church stabbing in Sydney removed from Elon Musk’s social media platform X, sparking a heated debate on online safety and freedom of speech.
The attack on bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in April, declared a terror incident by police, was livestreamed online and led to riots outside the Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley. Concerned about the potential for further violence, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner threatened X and other social media companies with hefty fines if they did not remove videos of the stabbing.
The case was seen as a test of Australia’s ability to enforce its online safety rules on social media giants. The Federal Court had temporarily ordered X to hide the videos, but the platform refused to comply, arguing the order was not valid. Eventually, X blocked access to the video in Australia, but users could easily bypass this restriction using a VPN.
Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant, who had asked for the video to be removed globally, faced backlash from Mr. Musk, who called her a “censorship commissar.” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also criticized Musk, labeling him an “arrogant billionaire.”
In a statement, Ms. Inman-Grant explained that dropping the case was the best course of action to ensure the online safety of all Australians, especially children. She emphasized that the eSafety Commission’s goal was to prevent the violent footage from going viral and potentially inciting further harm in the community.
X’s Global Government Affairs team expressed relief that “freedom of speech has prevailed,” arguing that global takedown orders threaten free speech and the principles of a free and open internet. The platform reiterated that they do not allow people to praise or incite violence.
Ms. Inman-Grant also revealed that Mr. Musk’s attention resulted in a wave of harassment and threats towards her and her family, highlighting the challenges faced by regulators in the online sphere. The case has raised important questions about the balance between online safety and freedom of expression in the digital age.
