X wins appeal to lift block on Australians seeing Charlie Kirk footage
a day ago
- #Censorship
- #Australia
- #Social Media
- The Australian classification review board overturned a decision to block footage of Charlie Kirk's shooting on social media after X's appeal.
- X successfully argued the Kirk video was not excessively violent or offensive, comparing it to historical footage like JFK's assassination.
- The board reclassified the videos to R18+, stating they weren't gratuitous or exploitative enough to be refused classification.
- A minority disagreed, arguing the video was shared for entertainment or personal gain and shouldn't be compared to historical events.
- X welcomed the decision, stating it upholds free speech and access to public information.
- eSafety commissioner noted the R18+ rating means platforms must prevent under-18s from accessing the content.
- eSafety did not block Bondi beach terror attack footage, advising platforms to use content warnings instead.