Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese described as "extraordinary" on Monday (April 22) a decision by social media platform X to challenge in court a regulator's order that some posts about a bishop's stabbing in Sydney be removed.
Albanese criticised the broadcasting of violent images and said some social media content had exacerbated the pain of many people. "I find it extraordinary that X chose not to comply and are trying to argue their case," Albanese told a news conference, adding that X's response to the order by a government panel, known as the e-Safety Commissioner, contrasted with that of other social media providers.
Police have charged a 16-year-old with a terrorism offence in the attack last Monday on an Assyrian church bishop, Mar Mari Emmanuel. Videos online showed the attacker, restrained by the congregation, shouting at the bishop for insulting Islam. The church in a message on social media said the bishop and priest were in stable condition and asked for people’s prayers. The church said in a statement on Tuesday the 53-year-old Iraq-born bishop’s condition was “improving.”
X says posts did not violate its rules
But X responded that the posts did not violate its rules on violent speech, adding that the regulator had no authority to dictate content its users can see globally, an approach it vowed to challenge in court as being "unlawful and dangerous". "The Australian censorship commissar is demanding global content bans!" entrepreneur Elon Musk, who bought Twitter for $44 billion in 2022 and renamed it as X last year, said in a post.
(With inputs from agency)
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