Australian judge fines X Corp. for online safety breach
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- An Australian judge fined X Corp. 650,000 Australian dollars ($465,000) for failing to provide information to the eSafety Commissioner in 2023 regarding its handling of child sexual exploitation content.
- The court also ordered X to pay AU$100,000 ($71,000) in court costs to the eSafety Commissioner within 45 days, concluding a three-year legal dispute over the company's obligation to respond to transparency notices.
- X admitted to contravening Australia's Online Safety Act by not fully answering eSafety's questions in a transparency notice issued in February 2023, with responses due by March 29, 2023.
- The legal battle included a July 2023 Federal Court ruling requiring X to respond to the notice, which upheld an earlier judge's decision, emphasizing the importance of transparency in tech companies' efforts to combat harmful content.
- eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant highlighted the significance of transparency for accountability and public awareness regarding how major tech companies address child sexual exploitation materials on their platforms.