Elon Musk's Response To Sydney Stabbing Footage Stokes Fury, Australia Vows To Toughen Social Media Laws
Date
4/21/2024 3:09:03 PM
(MENAFN- AzerNews) The Australian opposition has thrown its weight behind thegovernment's proposed misinformation laws in light of the socialmedia response to the violent scenes at two stabbing attacks inSydney last week, Azernews reports, citing AnadoluAgency.
The government will introduce reworked laws to toughen socialmedia compliance after X owner Elon Musk's attempts to fight atakedown order of graphic stabbing footage has prompted fury amonggovernment and opposition politicians, the Australian BroadcastingCorporation reported on Sunday.
Six people were killed and 16 injured in two separate stabbingincidents at a shopping center and a church in Sydney lastweek.
Billionaire Musk on Saturday said that orders to take downgraphic footage of the stabbing attacks in Sydney are an attempt byAustralia to censor his social media company.
X has since claimed it will remove the content while itchallenges the "unlawful and dangerous approach" in court.
Separately, social media platforms have been under scrutinyafter a Sydney man was wrongly identified as the Bondi JunctionWestfield attacker, in what appeared to be a deliberatemisinformation campaign.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton told ABC that "Musk cannot ignorethe law."
"I think there's a bipartisan position in relation to this, weknow that the companies, and we've seen some of the comments fromElon Musk overnight, they see themselves as above the law, andAustralian law should apply equally in the real world as it doesonline," Dutton was quoted as saying.
He said the coalition would be prepared to back themisinformation laws if "they strike the right balance."
Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said Musk has"offended" the Australian public, and his response was proof thelaws were needed.
"It's exactly what you'd expect from Elon Musk, he doesn't thinkhe seems to owe any obligation to any member of the public, andquite frankly I think the public has had a gutful of thesenarcissistic billionaires who think they are above the law,"Senator Watt told Sky News.
"I think it's entirely fair we go after them," he added.
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