Elon Musk Clashes With Australian Court Over Violent Videos on X
Mr. Musk’s defiance over removing content is testing the boundaries of international legal systems.
Elon Musk Clashes With Australian Court Over Violent Videos on X
An Australian court has extended an injunction ordering the social media platform X to remove videos depicting the recent stabbing of a bishop, leading to a clash with the company's owner, Elon Musk. The court's order has been criticized by Musk as censorship, and he has refused to delete the videos, which remain visible to users globally. X now faces potential daily fines of approximately $509,000 for noncompliance. Musk argues that allowing any country to censor content for all countries sets a dangerous precedent, and he believes that the content in question has already been censored for Australia pending legal appeal and is stored only on servers in the USA.
The decision to leave the content online in defiance of local laws represents a change in Musk's stance. When he acquired Twitter, now called X, in 2022, he promised to turn it into a haven for free speech, with the only content being removed being that which violated local laws. However, in recent weeks, Musk has become more defiant regarding legal orders to remove content from X, testing the boundaries of international legal systems and rallying his fans to put pressure on regulators worldwide.
The Australian eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, a former Twitter employee, has fined X approximately $384,000 in October for failing to provide information about its efforts to combat online child exploitation. The commissioner has been granted broad powers to police violent and sexually exploitative content online.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticized Musk's decision, calling him an "arrogant billionaire who thinks he is above the law" and accusing him of prioritizing ego and showing violence over common sense. Other Australian lawmakers have been divided over the government's effort to force X to remove the video, with some senators even stating that they would delete their X accounts in protest of Musk's decision.
Despite Musk's objections, X has complied with orders to remove content in other situations. For example, in February, the platform withheld posts in India about a protest by farmers under threat of fines and imprisonment of its local employees. However, X has expressed disagreement with these actions, maintaining that freedom of expression should extend to these posts.
In conclusion, Elon Musk's defiance over removing violent videos on X has sparked a clash with an Australian court. Musk argues against the court's order, claiming it sets a dangerous precedent for international censorship. The situation highlights the ongoing debate surrounding online content moderation and the balance between freedom of expression and the regulation of harmful content.