Wellington, New Zealand – Following the tragic terrorist attack that was live-streamed in New Zealand, former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern took decisive action to combat violent and extremist content on the internet. Establishing the Christchurch Call, an organization dedicated to eradicating such material, Ardern’s efforts have now intertwined with the legal battle between the Australian government and X, formerly known as Twitter.
Australia’s eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, and X, owned by Elon Musk, are entangled in a dispute over the circulation of footage of an alleged terrorist attack in Sydney. The incident occurred during a service at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Western Sydney, where Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was stabbed. Authorities classified the video circulating online as abhorrent violent conduct, prompting Inman Grant to issue a take-down order to remove the material from platforms.
Although X geoblocked the material in Australia, the platform argued that the removal of the videos worldwide was an overreach. However, the eSafety commissioner emphasized that Australians could still access the material using a VPN, necessitating the global removal of the videos.
In the wake of the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks and the subsequent global outcry, Ardern co-launched the Christchurch Call to Action with French President Emmanuel Macron. The initiative brought together governments, technology companies, and civil society groups to address the dissemination of violent and extremist content online.
Since its inception, over 50 countries, including the US, Britain, Germany, and South Korea, have signed on to the Christchurch Call. Tech giants such as Meta (Facebook’s parent company), Amazon, Google, Microsoft, YouTube, Zoom, and X (formerly Twitter) have committed to preventing the upload and dissemination of terrorist and violent content online.
However, the landscape changed when Elon Musk assumed control of Twitter in 2022, implementing significant changes at the platform. Musk’s swift and extensive restructuring, including massive layoffs and strategic shifts, raised concerns about the company’s adherence to its commitments under the Christchurch Call.
As the legal battle between the Australian government and X unfolds, experts view it as a pivotal moment in global e-safety legislation. Countries worldwide with take-down notice provisions are closely observing the case, emphasizing the importance of tech companies’ cooperation in removing extremist content. Meta’s compliance with eSafety’s removal notices serves as a model for effective collaboration between platforms and regulators to uphold online safety standards.