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🇦🇺 Australia /Culture & Society

X under fire for 'shocking disrespect' of antisemitism royal commission

From ABC Australia · () English

Summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Elon Musk's X Corp is facing criticism for failing to cooperate with a royal commission investigating antisemitism.
  • The commission expressed frustration that X Corp did not respond to notices to produce documents or engage with the inquiry.
  • This lack of participation highlights a need for regulatory reform concerning online safety and the prevalence of hate speech on social media platforms.

Social media giant X Corp, owned by Elon Musk, has drawn sharp criticism for its refusal to cooperate with a royal commission examining antisemitism and social cohesion in Australia. The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has been hearing evidence regarding the extent of online hate, with representatives from platforms like Meta, TikTok, and YouTube Australia having already appeared.

However, counsel assisting the commission, Richard Lancaster SC, delivered a scathing assessment on Friday directed at platforms that ignored requests for documents and engagement. He specifically condemned X Corp for its silence, despite repeated attempts to contact the platform through its Australian legal representatives in May and June.

X Corp has remained silent.

— Richard Lancaster SCCounsel assisting the royal commission, describing X Corp's lack of engagement.

Lancaster stated that X Corp's non-cooperation was particularly concerning given the evidence presented, which suggested a significant prevalence of antisemitic content on the platform, used by millions of Australians. He characterized the company's conduct as demonstrating "shocking disrespect and disregard" for the online safety of Australian social media users.

The commission's hearings have highlighted the widespread nature of online hate speech. The lack of participation from X, alongside other platforms like Telegram, has underscored for the commission an urgent need for regulatory reform to address these issues and ensure greater accountability for social media companies operating in Australia.

shocking disrespect and disregard

— Richard Lancaster SCCounsel assisting the royal commission, characterizing X Corp's conduct.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Australia. Summarized and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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