Australia’s internet watchdog has been subject to threats and online abuse after it ordered footage of a Christian church stabbing to be removed from X, court documents revealed.
On April 15, a teenager dressed in black was seen on a live-streamed church service, walking up to Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, before striking him several times across the head and torso with a knife.
In response, the eSafety office sent notices to social media companies requesting them to take down the video, saying the content was “gratuitous or offensive violence with a high degree of impact or detail.”
While some companies, including Meta, agreed to remove the videos, X was reticent to comply with the notice in full.
Instead of completely hiding 65 URLs containing the stabbing video, as per the notice, the company geo-blocked the content from Australian users, leaving it available for global users.
X Corp argued that eSafety’s requirement for removing material worldwide was unreasonable.
Safety Concern for Staff
In an affidavit filed with the Federal Court, eSafety Commission’s general manager of regulatory operations, Toby Dagg, stated that the online content regulator had to ask the police for assistance after there was a significant increase in the number of threats and online abuse against Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.Mr. Dagg also requested the court to suppress the names of other eSafety staff besides himself and Ms. Inman Grant.
“As a result of these threats, eSafety is concerned for the eSafety Commissioner’s safety and wellbeing, and the safety and wellbeing of her family,” the document read.
“(The commission) has requested the assistance of the Australian Federal Police and New South Wales Police Force.”
The court later granted Mr. Dagg’s request as it was convinced that disclosing eSafety officers’ names could negatively affect their safety.
Court Rules eSafety Has No Power to Block Content Overseas
In a judgement on May 14, Justice Geoffrey Kennett rejected eSafety’s application for a further extension of a global interim injunction, saying it had no real connection with Australia or Australia’s interests.The judge also pointed out that a ban extending outside Australia would violate the principle of the “comity of nations,” which involves countries mutually recognising the laws and customs of others.
“Most likely, the notice would be ignored or disparaged in other countries.”
The case is still ongoing and expected to be settled in a two-day hearing to begin July 24.
Amid eSafety’s push to censor the stabbing video, Bishop Mar Emmanuel, the victim of the stabbing, sided with X saying he wanted the video to remain accessible online.
In an affidavit to the court, the bishop stated that Australian people had “God given right to freedom of speech and freedom of religion.”
He was also concerned that others would take advantage of the stabbing to further their political purposes and undermine free speech.
