Elon Musk’s X Fails to Pay Fine Despite Extension
Elon Musk’s company, formerly known as Twitter, failed to pay a fine to Australia’s Internet Safety Watchdog for not removing hate posts and child sexual abuse posts from the platform. The eSafety watchdog had imposed a fine of Aus$610,500 on X in October for not outlining a plan to address child sexual abuse posts on the platform.
Despite an extension, X did not pay the fine. According to reports, the eSafety watchdog said that they will take action against Elon Musk and his micro-blogging site for failing to pay the fine.
X to Face Legal Action?
eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant stated that X was given a notice regarding the fine but failed to respond. X requested an extension until October but missed the deadline. Despite earlier claims that eliminating child sexual exploitation is a top priority, X did not take steps to clean the space for users.
The failure to show a tangible action plan may lead to legal challenges. After laying off approximately 80% of its staff responsible for cleaning the platform, X’s detection of child sexual abusive content reduced to 75%, leading to notice and legal challenges.
Neither Elon Musk nor X has officially commented on the issue.
Hot Take: Elon Musk’s Silence Speaks Volumes
Elon Musk’s silence on this issue speaks volumes about his commitment to addressing child sexual abuse posts on the platform. Failure to respond adequately may lead to further legal action and reputational damage for both X and its founder.