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Elon Musk defeats censorship in Australia: He may be outspoken, eccentric, and not everyone’s cup of tea. But he is right to uphold the freedom of speech
The Spectator ^ | 05/13/2024

Posted on 05/13/2024 3:49:01 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

In the unedifying clash of heads between billionaire Twitter/X owner, Elon Musk, and Australia’s e-safety commissioner Julie Inman Grant, there could only be one rightful winner- Elon Musk.

On Monday, Musk’s X succeeded in having a temporary injunction thrown out by Australia’s federal court preventing it and Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta from posting images of last month’s Sydney stabbing. An Armenian Orthodox bishop, Mar Mari Emmanuel, was attacked in his church, allegedly by a religiously radicalized youth, in April. The incident was captured by the church’s own livestream of the event and beamed across the internet: the footage is disturbing but already there for the world to see.

Inman Grant, backed enthusiastically by Australia’s prime minister Anthony Albanese and his Labor government, sought not only to block social media posts of the images from Australia, but wanted the platforms to remove worldwide posts altogether, consistent with Australia’s e-safety legislation. Effectively, the Australian government official claimed worldwide jurisdiction to tell the likes of X and Facebook what they, and their users, could and could not post.

The injunction caused a war of words and tweets between Musk, Albanese and a host of Australian ministers, with Musk playing free speech’s white knight. A voluble independent senator, Tasmania’s Jacqui Lambie, in particular poured gasoline on the fire by labeling Musk a “knob” with no social conscience who should be jailed. Musk retaliated on X, declaring Lambie “an enemy of the people of Australia.” All very entertaining, but helping nobody.

The e-safety commissioner’s application to extend the temporary injunction indefinitely was heard on Friday. The senior counsel for X, Bret Walker, told the court it was “remarkable” that the commissioner was arguing “the only way to control what is available to end users in Australia…(is) to deny it to everybody on earth.”

(Excerpt) Read more at thespectator.com ...


TOPICS: Australia/New Zealand; Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: australia; censorship; elonmusk

1 posted on 05/13/2024 3:49:01 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind
“the only way to control what is available to end users in Australia…(is) to deny it to everybody on earth.”

It is the logical result of the control they deeply desire.

2 posted on 05/13/2024 3:58:47 PM PDT by marktwain (The Republic is at risk. Resistance to the Democratic Party is Resistance to Tyranny. )
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To: SeekAndFind

Bet he said “I’ll just shut it off then”.

Addiction made folks make calls to fix it.

As it should be...


3 posted on 05/13/2024 4:01:58 PM PDT by Openurmind (The ultimate test of a moral society is the kind of world it leaves to its children. ~ D. Bonhoeffer)
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To: SeekAndFind

Interesting profile of her at World Economic Forum. She’s a former Twitter executive. Was she one of those Elon fired?

https://www.weforum.org/agenda/authors/julie-inman-grant/

Julie has extensive experience in the non-profit and government sectors and spent two decades working in senior public policy and safety roles in the tech industry at Microsoft, Twitter and Adobe.

The Commissioner’s career began in Washington DC, working in the US Congress and the non-profit sector before taking on a role at Microsoft. Julie’s experience at Microsoft spanned 17 years, serving as one of the company’s first and longest-standing government relations professionals, ultimately in the role of Global Director for Safety & Privacy Policy and Outreach. At Twitter, she set up and drove the company’s policy, safety & philanthropy programs across Australia, New Zealand & Southeast Asia.


4 posted on 05/13/2024 4:10:12 PM PDT by SauronOfMordor (Either you will rule. Or you will be ruled. There is no other choice.)
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To: SeekAndFind
“the only way to control what is available to end users in Australia…(is) to deny it to everybody on earth.”

Leaving aside the sheer lunacy of the second part of this sentence, it's mind-boggling that the people of Australia believe it's acceptable for their elected representatives to "control what is available to end users in Australia". This is how humans devolve into sheep.
5 posted on 05/13/2024 4:10:38 PM PDT by AnotherUnixGeek
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To: marktwain

A World-wide ban is the only way these political hacks can get around the use of VPNs by Australians. Virtual Private Networks, some of which are available at no cost, make it possible to view a link by accessing the web address via a network outside of one’s country.


6 posted on 05/13/2024 4:59:39 PM PDT by CdMGuy
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To: SeekAndFind

Note to the Labour PM, “your jurisdiction ends at the waters’ edge. You don’t get to tell the rest of the world what it may or may not see on the internet.”


7 posted on 05/13/2024 5:15:24 PM PDT by FLT-bird
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To: SauronOfMordor

I’d be willing to bet that ... woman ... is carrying around a giant axe. Grinding wheel on the right.


8 posted on 05/13/2024 5:18:03 PM PDT by Spacetrucker (George Washington didn't use his freedom of speech to defeat the British - HE SHOT THEM .. WITH GUNS)
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To: AnotherUnixGeek

Most Australians don’t believe this is acceptable. I’m not sure where you get the idea they do. Do Americans always agree with Joe Biden?


9 posted on 05/13/2024 5:50:43 PM PDT by naturalman1975 ("America was under attack. Australia was immediately there to help." - John Winston Howard)
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To: AnotherUnixGeek

They moved way down that road some years ago when most firearms were confiscated.


10 posted on 05/13/2024 6:14:46 PM PDT by FreedomPoster (Islam delenda est)
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To: SeekAndFind

Off-topic: Wonder if our government is after TicToc because our censorship guys can’t apply pressure to the Chinese owner guys to remove ‘disinformation’?


11 posted on 05/13/2024 9:25:23 PM PDT by dagunk
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To: SauronOfMordor

glad you posted some of her background. the eSafety woman has a staff of about 500. this was not only an attack on Musk, but another global power grab.

and it failed. give thanks.


12 posted on 05/13/2024 9:39:09 PM PDT by MAGAthon
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To: naturalman1975
Most Australians don’t believe this is acceptable. I’m not sure where you get the idea they do. Do Americans always agree with Joe Biden?

I sincerely hope those beliefs translate into political action.

13 posted on 05/14/2024 4:34:01 AM PDT by marktwain (The Republic is at risk. Resistance to the Democratic Party is Resistance to Tyranny. )
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To: SauronOfMordor

‘Hell Hath No Fury Like A Woman Scorned”


14 posted on 05/14/2024 6:05:08 AM PDT by moovova ("The NEXT ELECTION is the most important election of our lifetimes!“ LOL...)
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To: SeekAndFind
"...Tasmania’s Jacqui Lambie, in particular poured gasoline on the fire by labeling Musk a “knob” with no social conscience who should be jailed."

"Knob" - a new term to add to my list of "Proud To Be...":
-Deplorable
-MAGA
-Tea Party
-Birther
-Trumpster
-Right Winger
-and now..."Knob"

15 posted on 05/14/2024 6:27:00 AM PDT by moovova ("The NEXT ELECTION is the most important election of our lifetimes!“ LOL...)
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To: marktwain

I would like to think so, but given all the other issues we are dealing with, for most people (not me - I’m a big ‘free speech’ advocate - I regard it as the most important right we have), this is way down the list. Especially because the Federal Court did block the governments attempts at censorship, which means the law is still actually working at the moment. It’s disturbing the government tried this - it would have been far more disturbing if the Federal Court had allowed it.


16 posted on 05/14/2024 3:29:17 PM PDT by naturalman1975 ("America was under attack. Australia was immediately there to help." - John Winston Howard)
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To: SeekAndFind

Defeated, my backside...

https://www.finance.gov.au/about-us/news/2024/digital-id-bill-passes-parliament


17 posted on 05/18/2024 3:42:02 AM PDT by mewzilla (Never give up; never surrender!)
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To: SeekAndFind

And speaking of Australia...

https://hotair.com/tree-hugging-sister/2024/05/17/solar-panels-spark-hot-in-australia-as-energy-companies-start-charging-owners-for-excess-power-generation-n3788596


18 posted on 05/18/2024 4:18:44 AM PDT by mewzilla (Never give up; never surrender!)
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