Australia may risk a diplomatic spat with the Trump administration if it limits the viewing of a US execution
A history of tech giant legal challenges and US political criticism shows there’s no easy solution for the eSafety commissioner
TL;DR
- Australia’s eSafety commissioner may face challenges in preventing Australians from viewing a planned US execution livestream.
- The commissioner has powers to order platforms to block "refused classification" content, but platforms like X have a history of legal challenges against such orders.
- X has previously won appeals to keep violent content, including stabbings and assassinations, available to Australians.
- The eSafety commissioner can issue takedown notices for websites hosting footage of actual violent crime, a power potentially applicable to executions.
- Blocking the livestream could lead to domestic conservative media criticism and a diplomatic incident.
- The regulator has stated it cannot proactively block the stream and will rely on platforms to enforce their own standards.
- US politicians, like Jim Jordan, have previously criticized the eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, labelling her a "zealot for global takedowns".