In the wake of deadly stabbings in Australia, the country’s leaders asked social media platform X to ban violent videos from the attacks. X CEO Elon Musk said if his company complies, it could set a dangerous precedent.
The Australian government asked the platform to remove videos of the April 15 stabbing at a church in Western Sydney. The church was live streaming its service when a person stabbed a bishop and several others. People later shared video of the terrorist attack online.
Australia eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant asked X to block the videos from appearing to Australian users shortly after. The social media company complied, although it did so reluctantly.
Grant asked the Australian court to compel X to block the video for users worldwide. A judge forced X to remove the videos late on Monday, April 22.
After the decision, Musk called the court ruling “censorship.”
“While X respects the right of a country to enforce its laws within its jurisdiction, the eSafety Commissioner does not have the authority to dictate what content X’s users can see globally,” X’s Global Affairs account posted on the platform. “We will robustly challenge this unlawful and dangerous approach in court. Global takedown orders go against the very principles of a free and open internet and threaten free speech everywhere.”
However, Australian leaders said they were pleased with the temporary decision. They said they hope that a judge enacts a permanent ban.
“We’ll do what’s necessary to take on this arrogant billionaire who thinks he’s above the law, but also above common decency,” Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said. “The idea that someone would go to court for the right to put up violent content on a platform shows how out of touch Mr. Musk is.”
The videos will stay off the platform until Wednesday, April 23, when another judge will decide if the videos should be permanently banned.
