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Why is Elon Musk feuding with Australia and Brazil over free speech?
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Elon Musk, the self-proclaimed free speech absolutist and CEO of X,
Tesla, and SpaceX, is once again at the centre of a heated debate
about free speech and censorship.
Since buying X, the platform formally known as Twitter, in 2022, Musk
has sparred with governments and public figures around the world about
what is acceptable to post online.
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The mercurial billionaire is now embroiled in separate legal battles
with the governments of Brazil and Australia over their attempts to
curtail content deemed to be harmful, such as misinformation, violent
material and racist speech.
In each case, Musk has accused government officials of stifling free
speech.
But his critics say he is emboldening extremists and cherry-picking
cases as he has complied with takedown notices elsewhere.
## Why is Musk in a dispute with Brazil?
Musk's dispute with Brazilian authorities is part of an ongoing debate
about how to handle "digital militias" associated with right-wing
former President Jair Bolsonaro.
Bolsonaro's online supporters have been the subject of a five-year
investigation by Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes for
allegedly spreading fake news and hate speech during his tenure.
The judge is also overseeing an investigation into a coup attempt by
Bolsonaro's supporters after he lost the 2022 election to current
left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.
As part of his investigation, de Moraes banned 150 accounts belonging
to the "digital militias" - a fact that was made public earlier this
year when media reported that many of those accounts were still
active.
The move, which has been controversial in Brazil, piqued the interest
of Musk, who in April fired off a series of tweets directed at the
judge, calling the bans "aggressive censorship".
Musk also said X would "lift all restrictions" on the banned accounts,
although the platform said it had complied with the orders pending
legal challenges.
"This judge has brazenly and repeatedly betrayed the constitution and
people of Brazil. He should resign or be impeached," Musk said on X.
"Shame."
In response, de Moraes launched an investigation into Musk for
obstruction of justice.
## Why is Musk at odds with Australia?
As Musk battles it out in Latin America's most populous country, he is
also at odds with Australia's internet watchdog.
The stoush with the country's eSafety Commissioner centres on a knife
attack carried out on April 16 during a livestreamed service at an
Orthodox Assyrian church in Sydney.
Police have charged five teenagers over the attack, including a
16-year-old boy accused of stabbing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and a
priest.
After the attack, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant issued a
global takedown notice for videos of the event to X and Meta, the
owner of Facebook and Instagram.
Inman Grant has argued that posts of the attack should be taken down
everywhere, including outside Australia, as internet users can easily
avail of virtual private networks (VPNs) to circumvent domestic geo-
blocking.
While Meta complied with the order, X has only geo-blocked the videos
in Australia.
On Wednesday, Australia's Federal Court extended an emergency
injunction ordering X to remove the videos.
Musk has refused to back down, accusing Australia of attempting to
impose censorship worldwide.
"Our concern is that if ANY country is allowed to censor content for
ALL countries, which is what the Australian 'eSafety Commissar' is
demanding, then what is to stop any country from controlling the
entire Internet?" Musk said on X.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has in turn accused Musk of
thinking he is above the law and being an "arrogant billionaire."
It remains an open question whether or not the courts will affirm the
right of the Australian authorities to order the removal of content
viewable outside the country.
## What's next for X?
X's legal teams are going to be busy.
Earlier this week, Brazil's de Moraes gave X until April 26 to explain
why the platform had allegedly not fully complied with the court order
to block certain accounts that authorities say are still active.
Separately, thousands of Bolsonaro supporters rallied to support Musk
this week as he continues his legal fight.
In Australia, X is fighting the global takedown order ahead of a court
hearing on May 10, with the platform facing fines of about $500,000
for each day of noncompliance.
Musk has signalled that further legal fights are on the horizon.
In January, he pledged to fund legal challenges to Ireland's pending
hate speech legislation
## Is Musk a defender of free speech?
Whether Musk is a defender of free speech or a right-wing provocateur
is to a great extent in the eye of the beholder.
Since his takeover of X, Musk has dramatically scaled back moderation
of the platform and reinstated numerous banned accounts, including
that of former United States President Donald Trump.
But Musk's critics have noted that despite his willingness to spar
with Brazil and Australia, he has complied with similar takedown
orders from Turkey and India, including content critical of Turkish
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi.
Some of Musk's detractors argue that his principles only extend to
figures he personally agrees with, such as Brazil's Bolsonaro and
Argentina's new President Javier Milei.
Meanwhile, although the US is known for its especially permissive laws
and attitudes towards speech, other countries have taken a more
proactive approach to clamping down on misinformation and hateful
content.
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