US EditionX Wins Free Speech Case in Australia
AUSTRALIA, JUL 1 – The tribunal ruled the eSafety Commissioner's removal order unlawful, affirming that the post did not meet the legal definition of cyber abuse under Australian law.
- On July 1, 2025, Australia's Administrative Appeals Tribunal ruled the government overstepped by ordering removal of Chris Elston's post on X in Melbourne.
- The case arose after eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant deemed Elston's post 'cyber abuse' and ordered its takedown, threatening X with an $800k fine.
- X challenged the removal as unlawful censorship violating free speech, supported legally by Elston and ADF International during a week-long hearing starting March 31, 2025.
- The Tribunal determined that the post did not qualify as “cyber abuse” and overturned the takedown, with Paul Coleman describing the decision as a significant victory for freedom of expression.
- This ruling sets a global precedent limiting governmental censorship powers and signals greater protection for online expression on international platforms.
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28 Articles
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A Blow To Global Censorship: ‘Billboard Chris’ Wins In Australia
Freedom of speech has won a decisive victory in Australia. On Tuesday, a Melbourne tribunal overturned the Australian government’s censorship order against Canadian street advocate Chris “Billboard Chris” Elston for an X post critical of gender ideology.Back in 2024, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner had ordered X to remove Chris’ post, claiming it constituted “adult cyber abuse” under the country’s Online Safety Act. The post linked to a Daily M…
Billboard Chris Wins Censorship Case in Australia
In a precedent for free speech, an independent tribunal found that the eSafety Commissioner made the wrong decision when she took down the X post of children’s safety advocate Chris Elston. [UPDATE] Australia’s Administrative Review Tribunal in Melbourne yesterday decided that Chris Elston did not violate Australia’s Online Safety Act in a social media post that criticized the inclusion of a transgender activist on a World Health Organization (…
US Congress report says Aussie eKaren colluded to suppress conservative speech - www.cairnsnews.org
AUSTRALIA’S so-called eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant should be sacked for showing herself to be anti-free speech and an abuser of law. An Administrative Review Tribunal has found Inman Grant illegally prosecuted Canadian activist Chris Elston for a post he made on X. And according to a US Congressional report, Inman Grant also faces international […] The post US Congress report says Aussie eKaren colluded to suppress conservative speech …
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