X loses bid to escape Australian fine

SYDNEY:

Elon Musk's X on Friday lost a legal bid to avoid a US$417,000 fine levelled by Australia's online watchdog, which has accused the platform of failing to stamp out harmful posts.

Australia's eSafety Commission approached what was then Twitter in February 2023, demanding the company explain how it was tackling the spread of child sexual abuse content.

The following month Twitter was merged into Musk's newly formed X Corp, which was eventually fined for "incomplete" responses to the commission's repeated requests.

X Corp argued in Australia's Federal Court that it did not need to respond because the commission had first targeted Twitter, a company that no longer existed.

"X Corp has failed on all its claims," Justice Michael Wheelahan found in a decision handed down on Friday.

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant -- a former Twitter employee -- welcomed the court's decision.