Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Ends Legal Battle with Elon Musk’s X Over Controversial Stabbing Video
June 6, 2024Australia's eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, dropped her Federal Court case against X Corp (formerly Twitter) over the removal of videos depicting a church stabbing in Sydney.
Inman Grant shifted focus to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, citing the need for an independent review and the high cost of legal action.
The incident in April prompted the regulator to order social media companies to remove the violent videos to prevent further harm in the community.
Despite X blocking users in Australia from seeing the posts, the regulator sought a federal court injunction for complete removal, which has now been discontinued.
Elon Musk, owner of X, refused to comply with the global takedown, arguing against one country controlling the Internet.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation supported Musk, emphasizing freedom of speech.
Australian lawmakers and the government backed the regulator, condemning threats made against her and her family.
Musk criticized the regulator as a 'censorship commissar,' resulting in backlash and threats towards the commissioner.
A 16-year-old boy was arrested in connection with the stabbing attack.
The incident raises questions about online safety and free speech in Australia, highlighting the need for responsible content distribution online.
Summary based on 22 sources
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Sources
BBC News • Jun 5, 2024
Elon Musk: Australia drops case against X over stabbing videosYahoo News • Jun 5, 2024
Australia drops case against X over stabbing videos