Elon Musk‘s conflict with Australian authorities escalated as he advocated for the imprisonment of a senator and implied that Australia’s gun laws were designed to suppress opposition to its government.
The dispute stemmed from a court order instructing Musk’s platform, X, to temporarily remove videos depicting the stabbing of an Assyrian bishop during a church service in Sydney.
Musk accused Australian leaders of attempting to censor the internet, prompting backlash from lawmakers. Senator Jacqui Lambie, who deleted her X account in protest, called for Musk’s imprisonment, citing his alleged lack of social conscience.
Targeting individuals is a common tactic for Musk, who, as the world’s third-wealthiest person, challenges governmental oversight of social media content.
In Brazil, he has criticized a judge who ordered X to block certain accounts as part of an investigation into digital militias.
Musk’s criticism extended to Australia’s gun laws, referencing a gun buy-back and registration scheme implemented after a mass shooting in 1996.
Despite compliance with the temporary takedown order, Musk and X plan to appeal, signaling ongoing tensions over freedom of expression online.
Senator Pauline Hanson supported Musk, characterizing the takedown order as a move by the center-left Labor government to expand its control over information sharing.
Meanwhile, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neill criticized social media platforms for exacerbating societal division without assuming responsibility.
