Queensland Laws Require X to Comply, Tribunal Rules
An Australian Tribunal has mandated that Elon Musk’s X must comply with local anti-discrimination laws.
Elon Musk faced another legal setback in Australia when his social media platform X argued against being subject to local anti-discrimination laws.
The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal ruled that X, formerly known as Twitter, must adhere to the state’s laws despite being based in the United States.
The Australian Muslim rights group that filed the complaint sees this ruling as groundbreaking, ensuring that social media companies are accountable for content accessible locally that violates hate speech laws.
The complaint stemmed from the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network, which alleged that Mr. Musk’s X should take responsibility for posts on its platform that discriminate against Muslims because it acts as a publisher.
The tribunal’s senior member, Ann Fitzpatrick, dismissed X’s argument that it is not a resident of Queensland and that the conduct did not occur there.
“X Corp is present in Queensland as it offers services there and operates its business in the state,” read her ruling. “Secondly, the conduct in question indeed took place in Queensland, whether considered an ‘effect’ or actual conduct.”
The complaint by the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network includes 29 tweets that degrade, dehumanize, and demonize Muslims, portraying them as a threat. The content originated from a blog and was later posted on X.
“This legal victory against a social media platform under Australia’s vilification laws sets a precedent for all social media companies operating in the country,” stated a spokesperson for the advocacy network.
The Queensland human rights commissioner identified religious vilification in the complaint before referring it to the tribunal. The tweets also targeted Labor Senator Fatima Payman, the first hijab-wearing elected representative in the federal parliament.
The tribunal will provide directions on how to proceed further with the matter. This is not the first legal battle Mr. Musk has faced in Australia, given a previous court order in April to remove footage of an alleged terror attack from 65 websites, including X.
Despite the court ruling, Mr. Musk kept the content visible, leading to the refusal of an extension of the temporary injunction earlier this month. X, which has not responded for comment, may still choose to appeal the tribunal’s decision.
