Australia's online safety commissioner has initiated legal proceedings against Elon Musk's platform X, alleging it failed to remove graphic footage of the Bondi church massacre. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant stated at an inquiry on Thursday that X allowed disturbing content related to the attack to remain online, even after being asked to remove it.
Inman Grant detailed that the platform had argued footage of the stabbing of Assyrian bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was comparable to violent movie scenes, in an attempt to resist a takedown order. She emphasized the distress caused to victims' families, who had viewed the material. "We fought hard against X in terms of not allowing that post-mortem Bondi content," Inman Grant said, adding that "mainstream platforms are fighting for the right and ability to distribute and monetise this content."
The inquiry is also examining the role of artificial intelligence in perpetuating hate speech. On Friday, Theo Hourmouzis, general manager for Australia and New Zealand at AI company Anthropic, is scheduled to give evidence. Analysts have previously raised concerns about potential anti-Israel and anti-Jewish bias in AI models, with warnings that such systems could amplify antisemitism.
Commissioner Inman Grant also pointed to the influence of international regulatory environments, suggesting that less stringent approaches in countries like the United States contribute to the proliferation of online hate speech. She indicated that platforms may feel emboldened to reduce safety measures when governments, such as the Trump administration, do not actively enforce them. "Technology has never been more powerful and guardrails have never been weaker," she stated. "The geopolitics is very much playing into the fermentation of hate online because the platforms feel protected in rolling back protection."
The royal commission into antisemitism is currently in its third public block of hearings, having heard private testimony over several weeks. The focus has been on how social and mainstream media contribute to the spread of hate speech. The commission has also heard from other government officials involved in online communications.
