An Australian judge has extended a ban on a social media company allowing videos of the stabbing of a Sydney bishop in his church last month. The ban was extended after government lawyers criticized the company's free speech argument for keeping the graphic images circulating.
The attack, which occurred on April 15 during an Assyrian Orthodox service streamed online, led to terrorism-related charges for the alleged teenage attacker and sparked a riot outside the church. Both the bishop and priest were injured but survived.
The social media company, rebranded by billionaire Elon Musk when he acquired Twitter last year, has been ordered to block users from sharing videos of the attack. The ban has been in place since April 22, and a decision on its continuation will be made on Monday.
The company is the only social media platform resisting a notice from Australia's eSafety Commission to remove the video. The commission, dedicated to online safety, argues that the video can still be accessed in Australia through Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
The eSafety lawyer described the company as a 'market leader in proliferating and distributing violent content and extremist material.' The company's stance on free speech was criticized, with the lawyer stating that the company's position on global removal of content is inconsistent.
The company's lawyer argued that they had taken steps to block the content from Australia but faced technical issues. He deemed the demand for a global ban as astonishing and the notice as invalid.
The Federal Court will convene to consider the company's application to overturn the eSafety notice. The ongoing legal battle raises questions about the balance between free speech and regulation of online content.
