'Australia is NOT a free country' – Rumble joins free speech fight

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Rumble's CEO, Chris Pavlovski, has voiced support for the fight against what he sees as Australia's erosion of free speech. Pavlovski emphasised Rumble's unity with figures like Musk and X, stating:

“Australia has made clear they believe in stripping away human rights (freedom of expression) in order to satisfy what they deem appropriate for your eyes and ears.” He firmly declared, “Australia is officially NOT a free country.”

I feel proud. Rumble is the bastion of free speech and protecting this human right, from video to cloud.

Whoever is funding this brutal worldwide censorship behind the scenes, is on the wrong side of history.

— Chris Pavlovski (@chrispavlovski) April 23, 2024

The controversy erupted after a federal court ordered X to temporarily conceal posts featuring graphic footage of the Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel attack, claiming it was too 'distressing' for Australians to be allowed to see for themselves.

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.

Why does the government get to ignore this?

— Malcolm Roberts 🇦🇺 (@MRobertsQLD) April 23, 2024

This incident, involving a teenage terrorist, incited a violent riot at Christ the Good Shepherd Church in Wakeley. In response, the eSafety Commissioner obtained an interim legal injunction against X, with potential fines of $550,000 per day for non-compliance.

The censorship war will move to the hosting providers next, especially when platforms stand up to them.

Rumble will be immune 🔥 https://t.co/GgnFVlYCw3

— Chris Pavlovski (@chrispavlovski) April 23, 2024

Despite Meta's compliance, X announced its intention to legally contest the injunction. The eSafety Commissioner argued that X's geoblocking measures were insufficient to comply with the law, as the content remained accessible via virtual private networks.

The Australian Government is so power mad it's not content to just dictate what Australians can & can't see but now what the rest of the world can & can't see. Insane.

— MilkBarTV (@TheMilkBarTV) April 23, 2024

The legal battle has drawn attention to concerns about censorship and government control over online content.

.@elonmusk how about you block the Australian government and e-Safety Commissioner from accessing Twitter so they cannot harass citizens?

— Alexandra Marshall (@ellymelly) April 23, 2024

Figures like Daniel Wild have criticised the eSafety Commissioner's actions, accusing her of ideological censorship. Musk echoed these concerns, warning against the precedent of countries controlling internet content globally.

I support Elon Musk. He is right.

Labor, Liberal, Greens, Teal & Lambie have all lost their minds. They have turned Australia into an international joke.

Australia’s eSafety Commissar has no standing to control the entire global internet. Talk about delusions of grandeur.

No… https://t.co/GBMoQxV9Z7

— Craig Kelly (@CraigKellyPHON) April 23, 2024

While the government maintains its stance on enforcing Australian law, voices within conservative circles have rallied behind Musk. Senator Matt Canavan dismissed the government's response as "confected outrage," while others accused officials of using the incident to tighten control over online platforms.

As the debate intensifies, calls for stricter penalties on tech companies continue to grow from the media and politicians.