Tech billionaire Elon Musk criticized Australia for censorship after a judge ruled that his social media platform X must block users worldwide from accessing a video of a bishop being stabbed in a Sydney church. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called Musk an “arrogant billionaire” who thinks he’s above the law.
Musk’s company, X Corp., had announced plans to fight Australian orders to take down posts related to the knife attack on Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel. The Australian eSafety Commission successfully applied for a temporary global ban on sharing the video.
Justice Geoffrey Kennett ordered the footage to be suppressed from all X users until Wednesday, pending a permanent ban hearing. Musk responded by posting a cartoon on his personal X account criticizing censorship.
Albanese condemned Musk’s actions, calling him out of touch and lacking common decency. He emphasized the need for social media responsibility and criticized Musk’s ego-driven behavior.
The regulator argued that geoblocking Australia did not meet the legal definition of removing the footage. X’s lawyer stated they were unable to get instructions from their client in the United States.
Musk has labeled the eSafety Commissioner as the “Australian censorship commissar.” Albanese stressed the importance of addressing misinformation and violent content online.
X’s Global Government Affairs team stated they complied with the directive pending legal challenge, arguing that the regulator’s order exceeded Australian law. They pledged to challenge the decision in court.
The church attack led to a riot, injuring many police officers and resulting in arrests. A 16-year-old suspect has been charged with terrorism offenses.
