SYDNEY: An Australian court on Monday dismissed a bid by the country’s cyber safety regulator to prolong a temporary order for Elon Musk-owned X to block videos of the stabbing of an Assyrian church bishop, which authorities called a terrorist attack.
Federal Court judge Geoffrey Kennett announced that the application to extend the injunction granted last month had been denied. He noted that the rationale behind the decision would be disclosed later, during a brief court session. The case is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday.
This legal dispute has ignited intense debates between Musk and senior Australian officials, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who criticized Musk as “an arrogant billionaire” for his objections to removing the video. Musk has responded by posting memes criticizing the regulatory order, depicting it as censorship.
In contrast, other platforms, such as Meta, promptly removed the content upon request.
The Federal Court, Australia’s second-highest court, upheld an order by the eSafety Commissioner last month, directing X (formerly Twitter) to remove 65 posts containing footage of the bishop being attacked during a sermon in Sydney on April 15, citing its portrayal of explicit violence.
A 16-year-old boy has been charged with a terrorism offence in connection with the alleged attack.
Although Australian users have been prevented from accessing the posts, X has declined to delete them globally, arguing that the regulations of one country should not dictate internet control.
The regulator informed the court last week that X’s proposed solution of geo-blocking Australians was ineffective, as a quarter of the population used virtual private networks to conceal their locations.
Last week, Albanese’s centre-left government announced plans to conduct a parliamentary inquiry into the adverse effects of social media, citing its significant influence over Australians’ online experiences with minimal oversight.
