Big eSister is Watching and Taking Names

Sean Masters

May 22 2024

5 mins

The article you are about to read is comprised almost entirely of tweets, like the one above, posted by Australians concerned about free speech. As you continue, be aware each quoted tweet was monitored, recorded and filed in submissions to the Federal Court by the Office of eSafety on the basis of “a very large increase in the number of daily mentions” of Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.

The outfit doing the monitoring under contract to the eSafety Commissioner is called Meltwater, which opened for business in Norway in 2001 and now has six offices around the world. The cost to taxpayers underwriting Ms Inman Grant’s desire to know what people are saying about her has not been divulged.

Collated, the tweets submitted to the court represent an entirely reasonable narrative against the legitimacy of the eSafety Commission. Many of the posts below can no longer be found ,  and all posters are identified by either their X handles or names.

Broadly, they cover: free speech; the global overreach of the eSafety office; the multitude of readily accessible violent material other than the stabbing Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel; and Julie Inman Grant’s decision to censor a post from “Billboard Chris” about the trans man and activist Teddy Cook who is the head of ACON (Aids Council of NSW), with a “track record in everything from bestiality to bondage, drugs and nudism.”

Read some of the tweets Ms Inman Grant regards as worthy of official attention

“It will be a sad day when Australians are barred from engaging in free and open discourse with the rest of the world. When did Australians vote for tyranny?” 

“It is embarrassing to be Australian right now as the world watches us slowly losing our god-given right to free speech. The arrogance of the eSafety Commissioner to attempt to block content not only for Australia but the whole world! Neither of the two major parties are standing up.”

“The PM is slamming Mr Musk as arrogant, ego-driven, and above the law for refusing to comply with the eSafety Commissioner’s censorship demands. Perhaps Mr Musk just has a principled commitment to free speech?”

“He wants Australians to be able to make up their own mind about what they read and watch, or don’t.” 

On the overreach of the eSafety Office:

“Is challenging global censorship arrogance? From a legal perspective, X is in full compliance with Australian laws. The eSafety Commissioner has directed X to remove certain posts worldwide. Is it legal for one country to demand censorship beyond its borders?”

“Is the Prime Minister aware that the content in question is hosted solely on servers in the USA, and that the eSafety Commissioner wants it to be censored outside of Australia?”

“Australian law has no force outside Australia. The eSafety commission cannot tell American citizens what they are allowed to say in America.” 

“These global takedown orders go against the principles of a free and open internet and pose a threat to free speech worldwide.”

On violent content:

“What about movies and video games that show violence? Do we now need to censor movies and video games? What about footage of 9/11? Should we erase footage of the Bali bombings? Should Anthony Albanese and Peter Dutton come and go through our personal DVD collection? Does this need to be reported to the eSafety Commissioner? Answer is `no’. The eSafety Commissioner and our politicians really need to think through the implications here.”

“After Anthony Albanese and the eSafety commissioner are done with Elon Musk are they going to demand that YouTube censor ABC News because clips on their account include graphic footage of the death of George Floyd? Why is this footage deemed “safe” for Australians?” 

“The eSafety Commissioner claims that Facebook complied with the order to take down the video of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel’s stabbing. But when I search for it on Facebook the full video of the stabbing comes straight up!”

“Why would you want to hide the terror attack against an Orthodox Christian priest?”

“If you’re traumatised by images of violence turn off X. Don’t follow the source that publishes it. Block them. Trauma over, you’re welcome.” 

On Julie Inman Grant and Teddy Cook:

“X was ordered by the Australian eSafety Commissioner, subject to an approximately $800,000 fine, to remove Billboard Chris’s post. The post had criticized an individual (Teddy Cook) appointed by the World Health Organization to serve as an expert on Trans Health.”

The claim was, “he caused this influential transgender policymaker to be bullied online”.

“The eSafety Commissioner’s office has previously worked directly with Teddy Cook in drafting eSafety’s `Protecting LGBTIQ+ voices online report.”

“Australian Senator Ralph Babet sent an open letter to the eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, regarding her censorship of Billboard Chris’s post. He wants answers about her professional relationship with Teddy Cook.”

“Is the eSafety Commissioner acting unconstitutionally? She has now sought to censor something shared by a Senator. The implied right to political expression is one of the few protections Australians have in the constitution.”

“They are now pushing gender ideology right in the court, saying you should provide pronouns. Imagine being a rape victim and being expected to call the male that raped you a female this is a clear violation of section 2b.”

“This is what parents are up against. We don’t stand a chance.”

In conclusion:

“Nothing like having a former twitter employee running a personal vendetta against X. Who loses? The Australian people.” 

“Reality and transparency are good. Censorship is bad. The eSafety Office is reprehensible.” 

“Disturbing reports that the eSafety Office has started monitoring and gathering data on Australians that are critical of them, including associated family members. This does not really come as a surprise.”

“Perhaps it’s worth asking Elon Musk if he would consider blocking the Australian government and the eSafety Commissioner from accessing Twitter so they cannot harass citizens?”

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