‘Censorship’: United States government slams Australia for ‘coercing’ tech companies

The United States has lashed out at Australia, accusing it of “coercing” tech companies into engaging in “censorship”.

The United States has accused Australia of “coercing” Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, into “censoring” free speech, as part of a broader complaint about foreign countries pressuring the tech giants.

At issue is a decision taken by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner to require that X remove a post by Chris Elston, a Canadian campaigner against “gender ideology”. Mr Elston is known online as “Billboard Chris”.

The tweet in question, from February of 2024, took aim at an Australian transgender activist, Teddy Cook, who had been appointed to an advisory panel at the World Health Organisation.

Mr Elston misgendered Mr Cook, who identifies as male, and suggested global guidelines for dealing with trans issues were being written by “people who belong in psychiatric wards”.

He later acknowledged it was “not my nicest tweet ever”, but insisted it was accurate.

“These kids are lost and confused and they’re being lied to, but there are clearly psychiatric issues, and as per all the scientific evidence, the children who end up in these gender clinics are struggling with various mental health comorbidities,” Mr Elston said.

Canadian internet personality and anti-trans protester Chris Elston, better known on the internet as “Billboard Chris”. Picture: Instagram

Mr Cook complained to the eSafety Commission, which issued a takedown request for the post, saying it “deliberately” misgendered him in a way “likely intended to invalidate and mock the complainant’s gender identity”.

X and Mr Elston both challenged that decision, prompting a more formal removal order. Mr Elston’s tweet is now geoblocked in Australia, but remains visible overseas.

The Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, which is housed in America’s State Department, has cited the case as a reason to be “concerned” about governments “coercing” tech companies.

“The Department of State is deeply concerned about efforts by governments to coerce American tech companies into targeting individuals for censorship. Freedom of expression must be protected, online and offline,” the bureau said in a statement.

“Examples of this conduct are troublingly numerous. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton threatened X for hosting political speech; Turkiye fined Meta for refusing to restrict content about protests; and Australia required X to remove a post criticising an individual for promoting gender ideology.

“Even when content may be objectionable, censorship undermines democracy, suppresses political opponents, and degrades public safety.

“The United States opposes efforts to undermine freedom of expression. As (American Secretary of State Marco) Rubio said, our diplomacy will continue to place an emphasis on promoting fundamental freedoms.”

Mr Rubio with US President Donald Trump. Picture: Evan Vucci

Here’s a very brief summary of the two non-Australian examples.

Mr Breton, a Frenchman who was, at the time, commissioner for the internal market of the European Union, was accused of going rogue when he sent a letter to Mr Musk threatening consequences if content on X placed European Union citizens at risk of “serious harm”.

Turkey fined Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, for resisting pressure from President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s government to restrict content from its political opponents. Meta said the content was “clearly in the public interest”.

“Government requests to restrict speech online alongside threats to shut down online services are severe and have a chilling effect on people’s ability to express themselves,” the company said in a statement at the time.

Back to Australia. Last month, the eSafety Commissioner and Mr Elston both testified before the Administrative Review Tribunal in Melbourne. The Commissioner argued the X post was likely “intended to have an effect of causing serious harm”.

Mr Elston was asked why he had chosen to write the post.

“Because the World Health Organisation has global influence,” he said.

“We should have evidence-based care.”

eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant. Picture: Martin Ollman/NewsWire

Mr Elston is being supported by the Alliance Defending Freedom, a conservative American legal advocacy group, and Australia’s Human Rights Law Alliance, which is associated with the Christian lobby.

“The decision of Australian authorities to prevent Australian citizens from hearing and evaluating information about gender ideology is a patronising affront to the principles of democracy,” said Robert Clarke, ADF International’s director of advocacy.

“The confidence of the Australian eSafety commissioner to censor citizens of Canada on an American platform shows the truly global nature of the free speech crisis.

“Speaking up for free speech is critical at this juncture, and we’re proud to be backing Billboard Chris as he does just that.”

Mr Elston himself has welcomed the US State Department’s intervention.

“It’s tremendous to have the State Department support what we all know is true: free speech is a fundamental right, critical to a democratic society,” he said.

“If our free speech can’t be protected when we speak out against the greatest child abuse scandal in the world right now, when can it be?”

The eSafety Commission is not commenting on the case, given it is the subject of ongoing legal action.

Originally published as ‘Censorship’: United States government slams Australia for ‘coercing’ tech companies