Elon Musk vowed to oppose Australian demands for his platform X to remove videos of a Sydney church stabbing.
The Federal Court of Australia mandated on Monday that the platform erase the footage within 24 hours. The eSafety Commission had previously requested the removal, which X did not fulfil.
Musk countered by stating that the content was already inaccessible to Australian users, pending appeal. “The content is stored on U.S. servers,” he noted. He claimed the videos remained unavailable in Australia unless accessed via VPN, suggesting Australia sought a global ban.
The matter will return to court this week to decide on the injunction’s extension. Subsequently, a hearing will seek a permanent injunction and civil penalties against X, said a commission spokesperson.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticized Musk as an “arrogant billionaire” who thinks he is “above the law.” He remarked on ABC that Musk’s court challenge to keep violent content online showed his detachment.
Tasmanian Senator Jacqui Lambie called Musk’s behaviour “absolutely disgusting” and suggested imprisonment.
Last week’s attack on Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel led to riots by Sydney’s Assyrian Christian community. The widely shared videos of the attack worsened community tensions.
Australia has led in regulating online content with its 2021 “Online Safety Act.” This law holds tech giants accountable for user-posted content. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has battled X over violent content since Musk’s takeover.
The commission also requested Google, Snap, and TikTok to remove the footage, which they did.
