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.
How much do you know?
Who owned the tech company X that refused to remove the video of the high-profile stabbing in Sydney?
What tragic act did Axel Rudakubana commit after watching the video?
Which tech companies did eSafety work with to remove the video from their platforms?
What was the violent incident involving Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel declared by the police?
Which tech company blocked the video only in Australia, allowing access from outside the country or using a VPN?
What was the minimum sentence Rudakubana received for the murders?
Rudakubana was able to delete all his browsing history before being investigated by the police.
X responded to requests for comment after the incident.
The stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel took place at a school.
The video of the high-profile stabbing was promptly removed from all platforms by tech companies.
eSafety collaborated with Amazon and Twitter to remove the video.
X was the only tech company that geoblocked the footage in Australia.
Axel Rudakubana was sentenced to a minimum of for the murders.
Tech company X is owned by .
The violent attack involving Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel was declared an act of terror by the .
The video of the high-profile stabbing was allowed to be accessed from outside Australia or by using a .
Despite legal efforts, X has not responded to for comment.
eSafety collaborated with Google, Microsoft, Snap, and to remove the video from platforms.
