Australian Court Extends Injunction Against Social Media Platform X Over Bishop Stabbing Videos
An Australian court has extended an injunction ordering the social media platform X to remove videos depicting the recent stabbing of a bishop, setting up a clash with the company’s owner, Elon Musk. The videos of the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel during a church service on April 15 quickly circulated on X, prompting the eSafety Commissioner to order their removal.
While other platforms complied with the order, X refused to delete the videos, leading to a temporary injunction against the company. Mr. Musk, who acquired X in 2022, has denounced the court’s order as censorship and has vowed to fight it. The decision to leave the content online in defiance of local laws marks a shift for Mr. Musk, who had previously promised to only remove content that violated local laws.
The clash between X and the Australian judicial system highlights the challenges of regulating online content in the digital age. The eSafety Commissioner has been granted broad powers to police violent and sexually exploitative content online, but Mr. Musk’s defiance raises questions about the limits of government authority over social media platforms.
Australian lawmakers have been divided over the government’s efforts to force X to remove the video, with some senators even deleting their X accounts in protest. The controversy has also drawn international attention, with Mr. Musk engaging in online spats with European Union commissioners and Brazilian courts over similar issues.
As the legal battle continues, the clash between X and the Australian court underscores the complex relationship between free speech, government regulation, and the responsibilities of social media platforms in the modern era.
