Court rejects eSafety extension
The Federal Court has denied the eSafety commissioner's bid to hide a controversial video.
The Court this week denied the commission’s request to extend an injunction that would have continued blocking access to videos of a violent stabbing that took place on April 15 at a Sydney church.
The decision effectively ended the temporary restriction at 5pm on Monday.
The initial injunction was a reaction to Elon Musk's refusal to comply with the eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant’s directive to remove the disturbing content from X, formerly known as Twitter.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticised Musk's defiance as “arrogant”, supporting the eSafety Commissioner's stance on the matter.
Reacting to the judge's ruling, Musk posted; “Not trying to win anything. I just don’t think we should be suppressing Australians' rights to free speech”.
According to the eSafety Commission's statement, the decision marked a pivotal moment in their ongoing efforts to manage online safety.
Assistant Treasurer Stephen Jones hinted at possible legislative changes following the court's decision.
“There’s a fundamental principle at stake and that is, if you’re a company or anybody operating in Australia, then you’ve got to abide by Australian laws,” Jones said.
The matter will return to Court for a case management hearing on Wednesday, May 15.