The Australian Prime Minister has twice been publicly ridiculed for Musk's remarks on the social media platform X after the rift between billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese continues to grow.
The controversy centred on X's refusal to comply with an order from Australia's Cyber Security Commissioner to remove images and videos of the recent Sydney church assassination.
According to British media on April 23, Elon Musk, who is known for his outspokenness, made remarks taunting Prime Minister Albanese on X, suggesting that X's refusal to remove violent videos positions him as a defender of freedom of speech.
Musk wrote: "I want to thank the Australian Prime Minister for telling everyone that only the Twitter platform is real. ”
In response, Albanese criticized Musk's rhetoric as arrogant and highlighted his disregard for the social impact of spreading such disturbing content.
"This guy is talking more about himself than anything else," Albanese said in a television interview, emphasizing the importance of the cybersecurity commissioner's decision and criticizing Musk's provocative actions.
He believes that other social media platforms have complied with the commissioner's orders, suggesting that Musk's actions are more motivated by ego than by principle.
"This man's rhetoric is more about himself, he uses his own money to fight lawsuits, he wants to post more violent content online, which only causes social division and panic," Albanese said. ”
"If he can't see that this is the position of the electronic security commissioner, it only shows his arrogance," he added. ”
It is reported that the controversy erupted after a video of the bishop of Wakeley Church was circulated online, prompting the cyber security commissioner to intervene. Despite facing potential fines, X vowed to protest the order and said its initial measures to restrict content were sufficient.
Musk's platform has defied the e-safety commissioner's order, which has threatened to fine the company $785,000 a day if the video is not removed.
However, the commissioner argues that X's efforts are insufficient, citing the possibility of accessing videos through a virtual private network (VPN), which can circumvent geo-restrictions. In particular, in the wake of the Wakeley church assassination and the Bondi Junction Westfield attack, the persistence of this content has reignited calls for greater regulation of social media platforms.
Albanese highlighted cross-party support for stricter standards, emphasizing that the issue transcends political differences. "It's not about censorship. It's about common sense and public morality,"
He stressed that Musk was urged to reconsider his position.
This sentiment was resonated by Senator Jacqui Lambie, who gave a blunt assessment of Musk's actions.
"He's an absolute bastard," Lambie's words encapsulated the universal condemnation of Musk's actions.