Sydney: Tech bad boy Elon Musk said on Tuesday he would demand his social media platform X take down the video of the Sydney church stabbing.
The Federal Court of Australia on Monday gave the platform 24 hours to remove a video of an Assyrian bishop who was hit in the head in a recent attack.
The Securities Council of Australia is seeking an injunction, alleging that X has ignored previous withdrawal notices.
Musk told regulators on Tuesday that the content had been removed for users in Australia.
As the access deadline approaches, the video is unavailable to users in Australia, except those using a VPN or other location masking service.
Musk said Australia was trying to comply with global restrictions.
The matter will return to court this week, where a judge will decide whether or not to extend the temporary injunction.
In the third hearing, the Security Commission’s lawyers will ask for a permanent injunction and civil penalties against X, a spokesman told AFP.
Australia’s prime minister, Anthony Albanese, described Musk as a “superbillionaire” who believes he is above the law.
“The idea that someone would go to court over the right to post violent content on a platform shows how far out of line.
Quack Lambie Lambie, a Tasmanian senator, called for Musk to be jailed, saying he had “no conscience” and his behavior was “absolutely despicable”.
Bishop Mar Marie Emmanuel reportedly beat a 16-year-old suspect in the head and chest after followers of an Assyrian Christian church in Sydney’s west rioted last week.
The video of the deadly attack, which went viral on social media platforms, was blamed by Australian authorities for fueling social tension.
Australia has attempted to hold tech giants accountable for what users do online under the Online Safety Act 2021.
Security Commissioner Julie Inman Grant – a former employee of Twitter – has fought several legal battles with X, trying to hold the platform accountable for violent and offensive content.
In the past, Musk has raised concerns about an increase in “toxicity and hate” on the platform after taking over.
A spokesperson for the board said on Tuesday that it had also asked other companies, including Google, Snap and TikTok, to remove their videos.
Minimize the potential harm to Australia and the Australian community,” said the spokesperson. .
A watchdog was recently fined X$610,500 (US$388,000) for failing to show how it tackled child sexual abuse content.
University of New South Wales law professor Rob Nicholls told AFP the church stabbing case would test the new legal waters.
The Electronic Security Commission has issued orders before and the social media giant has always obeyed.
