After a terror incident involving a church stabbing in Sydney, Australia has ceased its legal efforts to remove graphic footage from Elon Musk’s social media platform X. The attack on bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel led to riots outside Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley in April, and concerns were raised about the potential for further violence incited by the videos.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner had threatened hefty fines against X and other social media giants if they failed to remove the footage. The Federal Court initially ordered X to hide the videos, but X refused, arguing the order was invalid. Eventually, X blocked access to the video in Australia, though users could bypass this restriction with a VPN.
Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant, formerly of Twitter, had requested global removal of the video, leading Musk to criticize her as a “censorship commissar,” drawing a rebuke from Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who called Musk an “arrogant billionaire.”
In a statement, Inman-Grant cited “multiple considerations” for dropping the case, emphasizing the goal of preventing the violent footage from spreading further. Both she and Minister for Communication Michelle Rowland affirmed their support for the decisions made by the eSafety Commission.
X’s Global Government Affairs team welcomed the decision, asserting the victory of free speech. They had previously argued against the legality and dangers of global takedown orders.
However, Inman-Grant revealed that Musk’s attention had triggered online harassment and threats, including the exposure of her children’s personal information.
