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Australian PM calls Elon Musk an ‘arrogant billionaire’ in censorship row over explicit violent footage
Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition, March 9, 2020, in Washington

ELON MUSK was condemned as an “arrogant billionaire” by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today in a row over online safeguarding and censorship.

The dispute centres on footage of the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel at a Sydney church during a service on April 15. The material was “geoblocked” from Australia, but available elsewhere until Monday, when a temporary worldwide block was imposed ahead of a hearing at Australia’s Federal Court.

Australia’s eSafety Commission, a government agency tasked with online regulation, argues that the content is a “graphic and violent video” which will “cause irreparable harm if it continues to circulate.”

But Mr Musk responded by posting a cartoon with a fork in the road, one path leading to “free speech” and “truth,” the other to “censorship” and “propaganda.” His platform X is challenging the ban in court.

Mr Albanese said: “The idea that someone would go to court for the right to put up violent content shows how out of touch Mr Musk is. Social media needs to have social responsibility with it.”

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