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Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has vowed to challenge an Australian court order demanding the removal of specific posts. 

The platform announced its intention to oppose the directive from the Australian eSafety Commissioner, which seeks to censor content related to the recent stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in Sydney. The incident, involving a 16-year-old charged with a terrorism offense, gained attention when worshippers detained the youth after accusing the bishop of insulting Islam.

The response from X came after the regulator instructed the platform to “withhold” the contentious posts under threat of a significant daily fine of A$785,000 ($500,000). X articulated that the order was outside the legal bounds of Australian law, stating, “X believes that eSafety’s order was not within the scope of Australian law and we complied with the directive pending a legal challenge.” The company emphasized its commitment to legally contest what it views as an overreach of authority.

X also criticized the eSafety Commissioner’s mandate, arguing that the body lacks the jurisdiction to control globally what content is accessible to its users. “The eSafety Commissioner does not have the authority to dictate what content X’s users can see globally. We will robustly challenge this unlawful and dangerous approach in court.”

In response to X’s defiance, a spokesperson from the regulatory agency referred to a statement from the eSafety Commissioner, highlighting ongoing efforts to ensure compliance with Australian law. The statement also hinted at the possibility of additional regulatory measures, noting, “We are considering whether further regulatory action is warranted.”