Australia’s safety regulator has concluded a legal battle with X (formerly Twitter) after previously threatening significant fines for not removing certain violent content. The eSafety commissioner, enforcing Australia’s Online Safety Act, had argued that the videos could incite further violence. Elon Musk, however, resisted the removal orders, deeming them dangerous and unlawful as they allowed one country to control global internet content.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation supported Musk’s stance, arguing that no single country should restrict speech globally. X welcomed the conclusion of the case, highlighting the broader implications of legal powers threatening global speech censorship. Despite dropping the case, the eSafety commissioner defended the original order, emphasizing the goal was to prevent the spread of violent footage potentially inciting further violence.
The Australian government continues to support its regulators, with the Minister for Communications backing the eSafety commissioner and denouncing the threats made against her and her family, allegedly incited by Musk’s followers.