Linda Yaccarino, CEO of X, voiced strong criticism of Australia on Friday after a confrontation with online safety regulators.
The Elon Musk-owned social media platform recently secured a legal victory in Australia when a court decided not to extend a temporary order that blocked videos of a stabbing incident at a Sydney church.
The incident involved Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, who was attacked during a livestreamed sermon, with the footage subsequently garnering hundreds of thousands of views online.
Following the incident, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner obtained a temporary injunction requiring X to hide posts showing the attack.
During her speech at the VivaTech conference in Paris, Yaccarino accused Australia of overstepping its bounds in this dispute. “Where X operates to comply with the law, we are also not shy when we feel that there is a very obvious overreach, and where the citizens of that particular region are put at risk, or their access to information is compromised,” she stated.
Yaccarino emphasized the importance of protecting access to information, adding, “What was recently going on in Australia, there was a need for X to stand up and protect people to make sure they maintained access to that information so they could make up their own minds.”
On May 13, a federal court judge denied the eSafety Commissioner’s request to extend the injunction that mandated the removal of posts on X showing the violent attack on the priest.
“The good news is that the people prevailed,” Yaccarino declared. “We’re happy to be that beacon of light and that place for truth.” Yaccarino, who previously served as the global advertising chief at NBCUniversal, underscored X’s commitment to ensuring access to information.
These developments highlight the ongoing tension between social media platforms and regulatory authorities concerning content moderation and access to information.