An Australian court confirmed on Friday that Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, must pay a fine of A$610,500 (approximately $418,000) for not cooperating with the eSafety Commissioner regarding its anti-child-abuse measures.
The Federal Court ruled that X was obligated to respond to the regulator’s request for information on how it tackles child sexual exploitation materials on its platform. Musk’s company had challenged the fine, claiming it was no longer liable due to a corporate restructuring that took place when X, previously known as Twitter, was taken private in 2022.
The court’s decision emphasizes the importance of holding foreign companies accountable for regulatory obligations in Australia. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant noted that accepting X’s argument could have established a troubling precedent allowing foreign companies to evade such responsibilities through mergers. In addition to the fine, eSafety has initiated civil proceedings against X for its non-compliance.
This incident is part of a broader pattern of conflict between Musk and the Australian internet safety regulator, including a previous order for X to remove posts depicting a violent incident that Musk described as censorship.
Peoplesmind