Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has condemned social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter and now owned by Elon Musk, for not removing distressing posts related to a violent attack at a Sydney church. The incident, in which a bishop and a priest were attacked during a livestreamed sermon, prompted a riot and significant unrest, leading to damage and injuries to police.

Despite demands from the Australian eSafety Commissioner to take down the content, X has maintained that the posts do not breach its violent speech policies. The content has been restricted in Australia but remains visible to users abroad. This has escalated tensions between the government and X, with potential legal battles indicating broader implications for social media regulation worldwide.

In a related development, the Opposition, led by Peter Dutton, has voiced support for tougher regulations on social media platforms to curb the spread of misinformation and violent content. This stance marks a shift, considering the Opposition’s prior criticisms of similar legislative efforts by the current government.

The police have intensified efforts to address the violence stemming from the church incident, identifying suspects and maintaining high visibility in affected communities. The government continues to push for legislative actions aimed at holding social media platforms accountable for the content they host, emphasizing the necessity of balancing free speech with public safety and misinformation control.