Australian court rejects request to extend order for X to delete video of attack on Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel

SYDNEY — After several weeks of controversy surrounding the attack on Assyrian Church of the East Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel in Sydney, Australia, the Australian government’s efforts to have the video removed from X, formerly Twitter, have faced a significant setback. The Electronic Safety Regulatory Authority in Australia sought a court extension to enforce the deletion of the video, but the Federal Court rejected the request.

Federal Court Judge Jeffrey Kennett declined to extend the injunction issued last month, stating that detailed reasons for the rejection would be provided later.

The incident has sparked a heated exchange between Elon Musk, the owner of X, and the Australian government. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese criticized Musk, labeling him an “arrogant billionaire” for refusing to remove the video, which has been described as terrorist content.

Last month, the Federal Court ordered X to delete 65 videos depicting the stabbing of Bishop Emmanuel during a sermon in Sydney. Despite this, the videos remain on the platform, leading to further tensions.

In response to the ongoing issues, the Albanese government announced plans for a parliamentary inquiry into the negative impacts of social media, citing the extensive control these platforms have without sufficient oversight.