Australia's eSafety Commissioner announced on Wednesday that she has decided to drop her Federal Court case against X Corp, which aimed to compel the platform to remove a video showing a Sydney bishop being stabbed. However, the legal action will continue in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal against the platform, which was rebranded in 2023 after being acquired by Elon Musk.
The eSafety Commissioner cited cost as a factor in consolidating the legal action against X in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. She emphasized the importance of testing key questions through an independent review process.
Julie Inman Grant, the eSafety Commissioner, revealed that her legal action against X had resulted in online attacks against her and her family, including the unauthorized release of personal information, known as doxxing. She attributed these attacks to Elon Musk, who she claimed had incited threats and doxxing against her and her family.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland expressed support for Inman Grant's decision to take legal action against X and her subsequent choice to drop the Federal Court case. Rowland emphasized the government's backing of regulators and the eSafety Commissioner in light of the threats faced by Inman Grant and her family.
The case stemmed from X's refusal to comply with eSafety's directive to remove the video of a stabbing incident involving a 16-year-old and an Assyrian Orthodox bishop in Sydney. While other major social media platforms complied by removing the video, X only geoblocked Australian users from accessing it.
Elon Musk, using his personal X account, criticized Australia for allegedly infringing on free speech and disparaged Inman Grant as the 'Australian censorship commissar.' Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese labeled Musk as an 'arrogant billionaire' who believed he was above the law.
Despite a setback in court on May 13 when a judge withdrew an injunction for a global ban on the video, the eSafety Commissioner has several ongoing legal cases against X, including issues related to combating child sexual abuse material on the platform.
