Australia’s internet regulator, eSafety, recently reported that a tech company, X, refused to remove a video of a high-profile stabbing in Sydney despite requests from the authorities. This video was watched by Axel Rudakubana just before he committed a tragic act, murdering three young girls in Southport. Despite other tech firms complying with the request to take down the video, X, owned by Elon Musk, only blocked it in Australia. This allowed Rudakubana to view it minutes before carrying out his deadly attack.
Rudakubana, who has been sentenced to a minimum of 52 years for the murders, had his devices investigated by police after the Southport incident. They discovered that he had deleted his browsing history, except for a search on X for the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel. This violent attack took place during mass at The Good Shepherd Church and was declared an act of terror by the police.
Following the incident, eSafety worked with tech companies such as Google, Microsoft, Snap, and TikTok to remove the video from their platforms. While some companies took proactive steps, X decided to geoblock the footage in Australia, allowing those outside the country or using a VPN to still access it. Despite efforts to have the video removed through legal means, X has not responded to requests for comment.
Vocabulary List:
- Regulator /ˈrɛɡ.jə.leɪ.tər/ (noun): An official body that supervises or controls a particular area such as a market or industry.
- Violent /ˈvaɪə.lənt/ (adjective): Involving the use of physical force to cause harm or damage.
- Compliance /kəmˈplaɪ.əns/ (noun): The act of conforming to a request or demand.
- Investigated /ɪnˈvɛstəˌɡeɪtɪd/ (verb): Examined or looked into the facts of a matter to discover the truth.
- Geoblock /ˈdʒiː.oʊ.blɔːk/ (verb): To restrict access to internet content based on geographical location.
- Proactive /ˌproʊˈæktɪv/ (adjective): Taking action to control or influence a situation rather than just responding to it after it has happened.
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