Aussie PM Calls Musk An "Arrogant Billionaire"

Australia's leader has called Elon Musk an "arrogant billionaire" in an escalating feud over X's reluctance to remove footage of a church stabbing, reported Hannah Ritchie for BBC News.

Albanese stated that Musk "Thinks he's above the law but also above common decency." I Photo: International Transport Forum Flickr

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's criticism followed Musk’s use of a meme to accuse his government of censorship.

Albanese this week told ABC News that Musk "Thinks he's above the law but also above common decency."

Last week Australia's eSafety Commissioner, an independent regulator, threatened X and other social media companies with hefty fines if they did not remove videos of the stabbing at the Assyrian Christ the Good Shepherd church, which police have called a terror attack. X has argued the order is "not within the scope of Australian law."

The commissioner sought a court injunction after saying it was clear that X was allowing users outside Australia to continue accessing footage. "I find it extraordinary that X chose not to comply and are trying to argue their case," Albanese told a press briefing.

In a subsequent series of online posts, Mr. Musk wrote: "I'd like to take a moment to thank the PM for informing the public that this platform is the only truthful one."

Another depicted a Wizard of Oz-style path to "freedom" leading to an X logo. Earlier, he also criticized eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant personally, describing her as the "Australian censorship commissar."