Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has escalated tensions with tech mogul Elon Musk, labeling him an "arrogant billionaire," according to BBC. This is amid a contentious dispute over X's handling of footage related to a recent church stabbing incident in Sydney.
Following an Australian court's order to X, formerly known as Twitter, to conceal videos of the attack, tensions between the government and the tech giant reached a new high.
Australian PM and Elon Musk's Feud
Albanese's criticism was prompted by Musk's accusations of government censorship, leading the Prime Minister to rebuke Musk's perceived disregard for legal boundaries and ethical standards.
Now, the conflict intensified after the Australian eSafety Commissioner threatened X and other social media platforms with severe penalties if they failed to remove the footage, which authorities labeled as a terror attack. X's resistance, citing the order's alleged inconsistency with Australian law, further fueled the confrontation.
"He thinks he's above the law but also above common decency," Albanese said of Musk's remarks.
In response, Musk took to social media, expressing gratitude for the Prime Minister's remarks while criticizing the eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, whom he dubbed the "Australian censorship commissar."
The Austrian PM, meanwhile, defended Grant's actions, underlining the importance of social media platforms exercising responsibility.
There is increasing pressure on X to follow a court order ordered by Australia within 24 hours. Both opposing sides are unwilling to compromise as of yet.
"Social media needs to have social responsibility with it. Mr Musk is not showing any,"
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