Australian PM X argument: PM calls Elon Musk an ‘arrogant billionaire’ in row over attack footage
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has criticised US billionaire Elon Musk calling him an “arrogant billionaire” in an escalating feud over X’s reluctance to remove footage of a church stabbing.
On Monday, an Aussie court ordered Musk’s X – formerly Twitter, to hide all videos of the stabbing attack in Sydney.
X previously said it would comply “pending a legal challenge”.
The PM’s criticism comes after Musk used a meme to accuse the Australian government of censorship.
Albanese told ABC News that Musk “thinks he’s above the law but also above common decency”.
Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, an independent regulator, has threatened X and other social media sites with fines if they do not remove the footage of the terrorist attack.
X says the order is “not within the scope of Australian law.”
The commissioner sought a court injunction after saying it was clear that X was allowing users outside Australia to continue accessing footage.
“I find it extraordinary that X chose not to comply and are trying to argue their case,” Albanese told a press briefing.
Elon Musk Australia spat – X
Our concern is that if ANY country is allowed to censor content for ALL countries, which is what the Australian “eSafety Commissar” is demanding, then what is to stop any country from controlling the entire Internet?
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 22, 2024
We have already censored the content in question for… https://t.co/aca9E4uAB7