🗞️Musk Strikes Back: X and the Australian Internet Watchdog

In response to the Australian internet watchdog's attempts to compel Elon Musk's social media platform X to prevent users from viewing graphic video related to the Sydney church stabbing, Musk has taken offence. The billionaire American shared a cartoon on his personal X account that depicted the platform as a path to "freedom" and "truth" akin to that of the Wizard of Oz, with a darker, alternate path leading to "censorship" and "propaganda."Musk has written the words, "Don't take my word for it, just ask the Australian PM," above the cartoon.

He also reposted an X post on Monday quoting Anthony Albanese, who said “by and large” most social media sites had responded positively to the Australian attempts to block the footage. The post added “for censorship” to the prime minister's quote and said Albanese took time to “advertise for Elon”.

After the eSafety commissioner filed an urgent court case on Monday evening seeking an injunction, the Australian federal court ordered Elon Musk's X to hide posts containing videos of a Sydney church stabbing last week from users worldwide. On Tuesday last week, eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant ordered X and Meta to remove “gratuitous or offensive violence with a high degree of impact or detail” within 24 hours or face fines. The footage showed bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel being stabbed last Monday night during a livestreamed service at Wakeley's Assyrian Christ the Good Shepherd church.Barrister for eSafety Christopher Tran told Justice Geoffrey Kennett late on Monday afternoon that X had geo-blocked the video posts, preventing Australians from viewing them. International visitors and Australians using a VPN to hide their IP address could still access the posts.

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Meanwhile, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese stated at a press conference in Mackay that "the pain of many people has been exacerbated by what occurred on social media."

So, we're now beyond local things, but happy to take that. We'll examine whatever's necessary, but we think, we've had this out there now for a year, now surely there is now a recognition that misinformation is a problem on social media. I attended a very moving ceremony last night at Bondi Beach, and it's a tragedy that six Australians lost their lives last week in what was a senseless act of violence. But it's also the pain of many people has been exacerbated by what occurred on social media - the broadcasting of violent images that have no place.

Social media has a social responsibility, and in addition to that of course, we know some of the misinformation, including naming some innocent bloke as the perpetrator, is just extraordinary that that occurred and that that was replicated. We need to recognise that, and social media has a responsibility. By and large, people responded appropriately to the calls by the E-Safety Commissioner. X chose not to. They stand, I think, I find it extraordinary that X chose not to comply and are trying to argue their case. We know, I think overwhelmingly, Australians want misinformation and disinformation to stop.

This isn't about freedom of expression, this is about the dangerous implications that can occur when things that are simply not true, that everyone knows is not true, are replicated and weaponised in order to cause division and in this case, to promote negative statements and potentially to just inflame what was a very difficult situation. And social media has a social responsibility.

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