Australia imposes fines on X for not effectively combating child abuse content
Australia’s internet safety watchdog has imposed a hefty fine of A$610,500 (equivalent to $386,000 or £317,360) on X, a company associated with Elon Musk, for its lack of cooperation during an investigation into their efforts to combat child abuse. This decision follows a public statement made by Mr. Musk last November, where he declared, “Eliminating child exploitation is our top priority.”
The ESC criticized the company for “empty rhetoric” on the issue.
Insiders earlier said they would not be able to protect users from ridicule after massive layoffs at X.
X, also known as Twitter, has suffered a steady decline in revenue since Mr. Musk bought it for $44 billion last year.
Under Australian law, which takes effect in 2021, regulators can compel internet companies to provide information about their cybersecurity practices or face fines. If the fine is not paid, the regulator can sue the company in court.
Alphabet’s Google was also warned for failing to provide requested information about its handling of child abuse content.
But X’s breach was more serious, with the regulator saying the company failed to “provide any answers to a number of questions, with some sections completely blank”.
The regulator added that “Twitter/X failed to answer a number of key questions, including the time it takes for the platform to respond to reports of child sexual exploitation; the measures in place to detect child sexual exploitation content on live streams; and the tools and technology used to detect child sexual exploitation content.
The company confirmed to the regulator that it had laid off 80% of its workforce globally and had no public policy staff in Australia, where it had only had two public policy staff prior to Mr. Musk’s acquisition.
In the preceding month, X faced criticism from Australian researchers for deactivating a functionality that permitted users to flag instances of election-related misinformation. This action has raised concerns, particularly given its timing just before a crucial Australian referendum that occurred during the weekend, aimed at granting increased rights to Indigenous communities.
Australia’s internet safety watchdog has imposed a hefty fine of A$610,500 (equivalent to $386,000 or £317,360) on X, a company associated with Elon Musk, for its lack of cooperation during an investigation into their efforts to combat child abuse. This decision follows a public statement made by Mr. Musk last November, where he declared, “Eliminating…