🔗 Share this article The Platform X Wins Appeal to Restore Access for Australian Users to Charlie Kirk Video Content In a notable regulatory appeal, the Australian classification review board has reversed a earlier ruling that prevented Australian-based users from accessing video footage of the violent event involving conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. The appeal was lodged by Elon Musk's social media platform, which contested an directive sought by the national eSafety commissioner. Details of the Original Ban After the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University in September, the regulator applied to the review board to assess and rate the available footage. The board first determined the content was "unable to be classified", a designation that empowered the commissioner to instruct social media companies to geo-block the posts for an Australian audience. Elon Musk's company challenged the decision for a pair of videos depicting the Kirk incident. It also appealed a comparable ban on a separate video—depicting the assault of Iryna Zarutska on a North Carolina train—which had also been classified as "unacceptable for distribution". The Platform's Case and Final Ruling In its appeal, X asserted that the footage in question contained only a short moment of violence with the weapon not shown. It was argued the recording was low-quality and the focus shifted rapidly from the victim to the bystanders. The social media giant argued the video was not excessively detailed, gratuitous, or objectionable, stating it served as a neutral objective record of "a notorious public event of historical and political significance that prompted widespread discussion". X even compared the video and the historic film of the JFK shooting. Most members of the review board ultimately agreed that, "despite the terrible nature of the event," the content did not reach a level that was exploitative, gratuitous, or offensive enough to justify a complete ban. However, they noted that a longer or clearer version with different editing might have met that threshold. Consequently, the panel revised the rating of the videos to R18+. A Dissenting Opinion Some on the board disagreed, arguing the video was "a shareable video for the probable aim of entertainment and/or personal gain (such as likes, shares, or views)". This view stated the comparison to the Zapruder JFK film was invalid, as the Kennedy video was made public years after the event, "after public sentiment around the matter had subsided". Response Following the Decision In a statement on its global government affairs account, X welcomed the ruling. "X fought this case to defend freedom of expression and the critical nature of public access about matters of public significance. Our commitment remains dedicated to protecting these principles." Representatives for the eSafety commissioner acknowledged the board's decision, but pointed out that the new R18+ rating now implies platforms "must take steps to prevent R18+ material being displayed to Australians who are minors". Recent Developments on Violent Content Separately, the regulator did not issue take-down orders to social media companies this week regarding disturbing videos from the recent Bondi beach terror attack circulating on social media. Officials commented that while the content were upsetting, they did not reach the high threshold for a "total ban" rating. As an alternative, platforms have been instructed to apply warning labels and screens, such as obscuring the image, on such content in accordance with their existing community guidelines.