Free speech prevails: Billboard Chris and Elon Musk defeat Australian censorship
Canadian activist Chris Elston joins Rebel News to discuss how he and tech mogul Elon Musk won a landmark case for free speech after Australia's eSafety Commissioner tried to force the takedown of criticism of a trans-identifying World Health Organization advisor.
In today's report, I catch up with child protection activist "Billboard Chris" Elston as he reflects on a victory for freedom of expression he and Elon Musk secured—not just in Australia, but worldwide.
In March 2024, Australia's eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant issued a removal order over one of Elston's X posts criticizing the appointment of a controversial trans-identifying activist named Teddy Cook to the World Health Organization's panel on Health of Trans and Gender Diverse People.
"She's not a doctor, she's not a health professional, she is a radical left-wing activist who herself identifies as a man. She promotes bondage, bestiality, all sorts of crazy stuff," Elston told Rebel News.
According to Elston, after he called Cook a woman "because she is" and criticized her appointment, unelected the Commissioner Grant had the post geo-blocked and ordered Elon Musk's X to remove Elston's post or face a $782,500 fine unless it was taken down.
Elston and Musk's legal teams both appealed the Commissioner's order, and Australia's Administrative Appeals Tribunal ruled in their favour.
In a 60-page decision, the panel determined that Elston's post, while offensive, did not meet the definition of cyber abuse and that the eSafety Commissioner had acted beyond her legal authority.
"This was really a crushing victory for us and it really set a precedent for Australians about whether they can call a woman a woman and a man a man," says Elston.
Known for peacefully wearing signs with statements against the medical transitioning of children, such as "Children can't consent to puberty blockers," on his person in an effort to engage passersby in conversation, Elston is no stranger to confrontation.
Over the years, he says he's been physically assaulted more than 40 times for his advocacy.
Drea Humphrey
B.C. Bureau Chief
Based in British Columbia, Drea Humphrey reports on Western Canada for Rebel News. Drea’s reporting is not afraid to challenge political correctness, or ask the tough questions that mainstream media tends to avoid.
