Australian PM Calls Elon Musk 'An Arrogant Billionaire Who Thinks He's Above The Law' as Rife Deepens with Tech Platform

Australia's Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, has labeled Elon Musk, the owner of X, an "arrogant billionaire who thinks he is above the law" as the rift deepens between Australia and the tech platform over the removal of videos depicting the violent stabbing of a Sydney church leader. The urgent federal court hearing ordered a two-day injunction against X, compelling the platform to hide posts globally containing the footage. The eSafety commissioner had previously directed X to remove the posts, but X had only blocked them from access in Australia pending a legal challenge. In an interview with Sky News, Albanese said Musk was "a bloke who's chosen ego and showing violence over common sense." He emphasized that "What the eSafety commissioner is doing is doing her job to protect the interests of Australians. And the idea that someone would go to court for the right to put up violent content on a platform shows how out of touch Mr. Musk is." The posts were still available outside Australia and to Australian users accessing X using a VPN. The prime minister's remarks came as the Australian government proposed expanded censorship powers to regulate so-called misinformation that could include political speech.

What do you think about the situation? Do you agree with the prime minister's characterization of Musk? Do you think Australia has the right to censor the entire internet for everybody? Share your thoughts with us!