Social media platform X stated on Saturday that it will challenge an Australian regulator’s demand to remove tweets about a Sydney bishop’s stabbing.
CCTV footage showed the crowd holding the 16-year-old teenager after they arrested him on Thursday for allegedly stabbing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel at a church in the capital of New South Wales, accusing Emmanuel of disrespecting Islam.
According to X’s Global Government Affairs, the Australian eSafety Commissioner ordered the removal of articles about the Christian bishop’s attack, per Reuters. Though it would not disclose the challenged postings, X said the regulator threatened a daily penalty of A$785,000 ($500,000) if they were not withdrawn.
X, formerly Twitter, stated that the eSafety Commissioner’s request breached Australian law and that it would comply pending legal action. X said the Commissioner cannot control global content visibility on the site and would contest an “unlawful and dangerous approach” legally.
Australian Government to Scrutinize X
In response to X’s announcement, a regulatory agency representative stated that the eSafety Commissioner will ensure X’s compliance with Australian law. Given the scenario, the agency is considering additional regulatory steps.
In March, the eSafety Commissioner, a government agency that combats dangerous online content, sent legal warnings to social networking platforms like X to inquire about their terrorism-related content activities.
Recognized for his social media presence and global following, Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel has been contentious, voicing his opinions on topics such as homosexuality, COVID-19 vaccines, Islam, and Joe Biden’s election.
The legal battle comes after X’s recent controversy wherein Hyundai halted its advertisements on Elon Musk’s social media platform due to “brand safety” concerns when the automobile maker’s ads appeared alongside pro-Nazi and antisemitic comments.
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Freelance journalist Nancy Levine Stearns published a screenshot of a Hyundai commercial alongside Holocaust denial and antisemitic remarks on a user’s account. The Hyundai ad was featured next to a Holocaust-related post titled “Violent Event Denial,” according to X’s head of business operations, Joe Benarroch.
The individual who promoted Nazi ideology and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories posted the ad.
Despite claiming to be from Australia and having almost 55,000 followers under a pseudonym, antisemitic tropes in its profile led to the suspension of the account.
Elon Musk to Charge New X Users’ Tweets?
Before the ban, X’s sales team did not approve the Hyundai campaign. Brunswick, the advertising firm, neglected to activate the platform’s Brand Safety settings, leading to the placement of advertisements alongside hazardous material, according to Benarroch. X is collaborating with Brunswick to improve ad settings and prevent recurring issues.
(Photo : KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images)
A photo taken on November 17, 2023 shows the logo of US online social media and social networking service X – formerly Twitter.
In a separate X development, Elon Musk announced his intentions to charge new users on X a small amount before they can post. He said that this method was the “only way” to stop the bot activity that was causing problems for the network.
As previously reported by TechTimes, the tech billionaire stressed the need to charge new customers a tiny price to avoid bot attacks. The tech mogul noted that troll farms and AI may easily bypass “Are you a bot?” security measures like CAPTCHA.
Notably, Elon Musk said the cost is transitory. After three months, new users can post for free if they respond to another user. Some see Musk’s declaration as a substantial step forward in X’s security and platform integrity efforts, although the deployment timing and price are unknown.
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