Australia Imposes a $386,000 Fine on Twitter (X) for Failing to Cooperate in the Child Safety Probe
The Australian internet safety watchdog has fined Elon Musk’s Twitter (referred to as X) a significant amount of A$610,500 ($386,000) for failing to cooperate in a probe into its child abuse prevention practices. This action was taken in response to a post made by Mr. Musk in November stating that “removing child exploitation is priority #1.” However, the eSafety Commission criticised X for its “empty talk” on the issue.
The eSafety Commission, empowered by Australian laws enacted in 2021, has the authority to compel internet companies to provide information about their online safety practices or face financial penalties. If a company refuses to pay the fine, the regulator can take legal action against it. In the case of Twitter (X), the regulator noted that the company did not respond adequately to their inquiries, with sections left blank and key questions unanswered. These questions included details about the platform’s response time to reports of child sexual exploitation, the measures in place to detect such content in live streams, and the tools used for identifying this material.
Furthermore, Twitter (X) confirmed to the regulator that it had reduced its global workforce by 80% and no longer had any public policy staff in Australia, which previously had two employees before Elon Musk’s takeover. This demonstrates the significant changes that occurred after Mr. Musk acquired the platform for $44 billion.
In the recent past, Twitter (X) faced criticism from Australian researchers for disabling a feature that allowed users to report misinformation about elections. This decision raised concerns, particularly because it occurred before a significant referendum in Australia aimed at granting Indigenous people more rights.
Australia’s actions signal a growing focus on regulating internet companies’ handling of child abuse content and ensuring cooperation with safety investigations, reflecting broader global efforts to make online platforms more responsible and accountable.
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