Australia vs. X: Social Media Platform Challenges Bishop Stabbing Content Takedown [Video]

Social media platform X stated on Saturday that it will challenge an Australian regulator’s demand to remove tweets about a Sydney bishop’s stabbing.

CCTV footage showed the crowd holding the 16-year-old teenager after they arrested him on Thursday for allegedly stabbing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel at a church in the capital of New South Wales, accusing Emmanuel of disrespecting Islam.

According to X’s Global Government Affairs, the Australian eSafety Commissioner ordered the removal of articles about the Christian bishop’s attack, per Reuters. Though it would not disclose the challenged postings, X said the regulator threatened a daily penalty of A$785,000 ($500,000) if they were not withdrawn.

X, formerly Twitter, stated that the eSafety Commissioner’s request breached Australian law and that it would comply pending legal action. X said the Commissioner cannot control global content visibility on the site and would contest an “unlawful and dangerous approach” legally.

Australian Government to Scrutinize X

In response to X’s announcement, a regulatory agency representative stated …