Australian Court Sides with X in Free Speech Battle

Contact Your Elected Officials
The Epoch Times Header

An Australian court ruled in favor of X, overturning an eSafety commissioner’s order to block video footage of an attack on Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in April.

An Australian court has ruled in favor of social media platform X, allowing it to keep video footage of an attack on Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel accessible within the country.

The decision overturns an earlier order by the eSafety commissioner that had required X to block Australians from viewing the footage, according to a copy of the ruling and a statement posted by X’s Global Government Affairs account.

Following the attack on April 15 during a livestreamed sermon at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley, Sydney, several X users posted videos of the incident.

Emmanuel himself believed the public should be allowed to see the footage, making his opinion known at a sermon two weeks after the attack at his church. Despite this, the eSafety commissioner ordered X to restrict access to the video in Australia, even though it remained available on other platforms.

X complied with the order domestically while initiating a legal challenge, the X statement said. Unsatisfied with the platform’s response, the eSafety commissioner demanded that social media companies censor the footage worldwide.

While other platforms catered to the commissioner’s demands, X contested the global censorship demand in the Australian Federal Court, the company said in the statement. The court ruled in favor of X, rejecting the commissioner’s request for worldwide censorship.

In the statement released on Oct. 11, X said, “X welcomes the decision of the Australian eSafety commissioner to concede that it should not have ordered X to block the video footage of the tragic attack on Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel.”

The company added, “It is regrettable the Commissioner used significant taxpayer resources for this legal battle when communities need more than ever to be allowed to see, decide and discuss what is true and important to them.”

Emmanuel spoke out against online censorship after he returned from the hospital, where he was treated for eye injuries sustained in the attack.

By Chase Smith

Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com

The Epoch Times
The Epoch Timeshttps://www.theepochtimes.com/
Tired of biased news? The Epoch Times is truthful, factual news that other media outlets don't report. No spin. No agenda. Just honest journalism like it used to be.

This Is America: Target™ Reparations

“This Is America” explores the cultural undercurrents pulling Western...

Blind Man’s Shutdown

Congress is playing the equivalent of Bind Man's Bluff. With the shout “tag your it” they seek to blame the other party for the government shutdown.

A Reluctant Acknowledgment: What Conservatives Can Admire in Everyday Progressives

Admirable ideological qualities seen in liberals and left-wing individuals are those of the everyday believer not their political leadership.

Ensuring Domestic Tranquility

The Supremacy Clause in Article VI of the U.S. Constitution establishes it as the highest law of the land, taking precedence over conflicting state laws.

Is There a 9/11 WTC and 9/10 Charlie Kirk Connection?

Strange parallels in online stories raise questions about whether Israelis and Mossad intelligence are our allies or adversaries.

Trump to Deploy 300 National Guard Members in Illinois, Pritzker Says

President Trump to deploy 300 National Guard members in Illinois after DHS said federal officers were rammed and fired upon near Chicago,

A Shooting Near Houston Suburb Leaves Two Children Dead and Two Others in Critical Condition

Two children were killed and two more were critically injured in a shooting early Saturday near the Houston suburb of Angleton, Texas, authorities said.

Trump Admin to Offer Stipends for Unaccompanied Illegal Immigrant Children Who Voluntarily Return Home

Trump admin is offering a $2,500 stipend to children who voluntarily return to their home countries after illegally entering U.S. unaccompanied.

Rite Aid Closes Last Store, Ending Decades-Long Run as One of America’s Biggest Pharmacy Chains

Rite Aid, one of the largest pharmacy chains in the country, has permanently closed the last of its locations after struggling with bankruptcy for years.

Department of Energy Cancels $7.5 Billion in Project Funding

The Dept of Energy (DOE) said on Oct. 2 that it had terminated 321 federal grants funding 223 projects, amounting to about $7.56 billion in cuts.

White House Withdraws EJ Antoni’s Nomination to Lead Bureau of Labor Statistics

The White House has withdrawn economist EJ Antoni’s nomination to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the White House confirmed on Sept. 30.

US to Impose 100 Percent Tariffs on Foreign-Made Movies, Trump Says

President Donald Trump announced on Sept. 29 that he will impose a 100 percent tariff on all movies produced outside the United States.

Trump to Host Netanyahu at White House to Discuss Gaza Peace Plan

President Trump will host Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu at the White House on Sept. 29 to discuss a ceasefire and broader peace plan for Gaza.
spot_img

Related Articles

Popular Categories

MAGA Business Central