X platform wins legal fight to restore blocked content access in Australia

In an interesting development, Elon Musk-owned social platform X has won a major legal battle in Australia, restoring access to content that had previously been blocked nationwide. 

The ruling follows a successful appeal against a decision sought by the country’s eSafety commissioner.

The Australian Classification Review Board has overturned its earlier move to restrict local users from viewing footage linked to the fatal shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk. 

After the incident at Utah Valley University on September 10, the video had been labelled “refused classification,” enabling authorities to order platforms to geo-block the material.

X challenged the ruling on two separate videos related to the shooting, arguing the footage showed only brief violence, with no weapon visible, and quickly shifted away from the victim. 

It also compared the clip to historically significant footage such as the assassination of John F Kennedy.

Notably, a majority of the review board agreed, stating that while the event itself was heinous, the videos were not exploitative or offensive enough to warrant a complete ban. 

Instead, the classification was revised to R18+, allowing restricted access rather than an outright block.

The decision marks a notable legal win for X in its ongoing global pushback against content restrictions, particularly in Australia.