X to Take Legal Action Against eSafety Commission Over Post About Trans Activist at WHO

An image of the X (formerly Twitter) phone app in front of a laptop featuring the front page to Australia's eSafety commissioner website, taken in Perth, Western Australia on Jan. 22, 2024. Wade Zhong/The Epoch Times

Global social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has announced it intends to mount a court challenge against a takedown notice issued by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant to “protect its user’s right to free speech.”

The user in question goes by the pseudonym “Billboard Chris,” on Feb. 28 he published a post criticising the World Health Organisation’s selection of Australian trans activist Teddy Cook to a new panel drafting global health rules.

The post linked to a Daily Mail story that accused Mr. Cook of having posted about “public nudity” and various sexual transgressions. It also reproduced photos taken from Mr. Cook’s Instagram account.

Billboard Chris went further in his post saying, “People who belong in psychiatric wards are writing the guidelines for people who belong in psychiatric wards.”

‘Cyber Abuse Material’

On March 22, X received a removal notice from the eSafety commissioner characterising the post as “cyber-abuse material targeted at an Australian adult.”

The notice further warned that if X did not comply and remove the post in 24 hours, it would face a fine of $782,500 (US$509,865).

“The material misgenders the complainant and reiterates that this point is deliberate, which is likely intended to invalidate and mock the complainant’s gender identity,” the notice said.

“The material also contains a statement that implicitly equates transgender identity with a psychiatric condition. This statement is deliberately degrading and suggests all transgender people ... have something that is ‘wrong’ about their psychology owing to their gender identity.”

X then blocked Australian users from seeing the tweet, which Billboard Chris revealed in another post on March 26.

He also refused to take the post down, saying, “I don’t know if any civil action or fine can be directed at me under that law.”

Asked to confirm that the document posted by Billboard Chris was accurate, and whether there had been any further correspondence with X, the Office of the eSafety Commissioner replied “eSafety does not provide copies of regulatory notices or correspondence with individuals to third parties, nor does it comment on the details of individual cases.”

X Confirms Lawsuit

After initially remaining silent on its reaction, X has confirmed in its Global Government Affairs account that it will be fighting the notice in court.

“Earlier this week, X was ordered by the Australian E-Safety Commissioner, subject to an approximately $800,000 AUD fine, to remove a user’s post.

“The post had criticized an individual appointed by the World Health Organization to serve as an expert on transgender issues. X is withholding the post in Australia in compliance with the order but intends to file a legal challenge to the order to protect its user’s right to free speech.”

Billionaire X owner, Elon Musk, responded to the post by saying, “Yeah.”