The Squiz

Billionaire Elon Musk’s social media company X (aka Twitter) is threatening to take Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant to court over an order calling for the removal of graphic videos of the terrorist attack at the Assyrian Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley in Sydney’s southwest last Monday night. X’s Global Government Affairs account stated that “eSafety’s order was not within the scope of Australian law” and “global takedown orders go against the very principles of a free and open internet and threaten free speech everywhere.”

How did it come to this?

Monday’s live-streamed church service captured a 16yo allegedly stabbing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, and there was footage captured of the teen being held by the congregation as a riot erupted outside the church. These videos are still circulating on X, despite the social media giant’s previous claims it had complied with the order to remove them. X also says the regulator told it to “withhold” the posts or face a daily fine of $785,000 and Musk has accused Inman Grant of “demanding *global* content bans!” The issue has united politicians with Coalition leader Peter Dutton saying there is “no question at all” that greater action against social media companies who “see themselves as above the law” is needed. NSW’s Premier Chris Minns has also criticised X/Musk for disregarding “lies and disinformation” being spread on their watch, fuelling the riot. 

Does this have a crossover with what happened in Bondi? 

Yep – X also came under fire after several accounts falsely linked the Westfield attack to Islamist terrorism and identified the wrong man as the attacker. Reports say that led Channel 7 to falsely name student Benjamin Cohen, who is suing the network for defamation. The spate of attacks last week has also shone a light on the issues of knife crime and violence against women. Last night, a candlelight vigil was held at Bondi Beach to remember the 6 victims from Bondi Junction and 6 others who were seriously injured – including a 9-month-old baby who has now been released from hospital. Minns addressed the women in the crowd, saying they have “the right to live free from violence.” “We will not be a state where a woman is forced to change her behaviour because of feelings of anger of other people,” he said.