Prime Minister Anthony Albanese slams Musk’s defiance of court order

Australia’s Prime Minister has escalated a feud with Elon Musk, labelling the tech mogul an “arrogant billionaire” amid a dispute over the removal of footage depicting a church stabbing.

A court in Australia recently ordered Musk’s social media company – formerly known as Twitter – to hide videos of a stabbing incident in Sydney last week. Despite the order, Musk’s company, X, previously known as Twitter, stated it would comply “pending a legal challenge.”

Musk’s response, using a meme to accuse the government of censorship, prompted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s criticism. Albanese, speaking to ABC News on Tuesday, accused Musk of considering himself “above the law” and lacking “common decency.”

Last week, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner threatened X and other social media platforms with hefty fines if they failed to remove videos of the stabbing at the Assyrian Christ the Good Shepherd Church, which authorities labelled as a terror attack.

X argued that the order was “not within the scope of Australian law” and faced a court injunction from the eSafety Commissioner after it appeared the platform was still allowing users outside Australia to access the footage.

Expressing his astonishment at X’s non-compliance, Albanese stated in a press briefing that he found it “extraordinary” and defended the eSafety Commissioner’s actions, emphasizing the need for social media responsibility.

Musk, in response, thanked the PM for his remarks and posted a meme suggesting X was the only platform offering truthfulness. He also criticized eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, referring to her as the “Australian censorship commissar.”

The court’s injunction, effective until Wednesday, awaits a second hearing, while legal proceedings between X and the eSafety Commissioner continue over allegations of the platform’s mishandling of child abuse material online.