The situation
Real talk: the vibes are currently off between Australia’s online regulator and the US. US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth recently announced that the military execution of Nidal Hasan, the Fort Hood shooter, will be livestreamed in early December. Now, Australian politicians from The Greens are demanding that eSafety commissioner Julie Inman Grant and the Albanese government make sure Aussies can't watch it on their screens.
How we got here
Under the Online Safety Act, Inman Grant has the power to order platforms like X, Facebook, and Instagram to pull content that’s "refused classification"—usually reserved for things like terror attacks. The government could theoretically force internet service providers to block entire sites if they host the footage, but that’s a nuclear option they’ve never actually pulled.
The plot thickens
Blocking this stuff is easier said than done. X, in particular, has a history of winning legal fights against the eSafety commissioner. Remember when they fought to keep footage of the Sydney bishop stabbing and the Charlie Kirk assassination online? Yeah, they have a solid track record of beating these takedown orders in court.
If Australia moves to block the stream, it’s highkey risking a diplomatic mess with the Trump administration. Plus, there’s already heat on Inman Grant from US politicians like Jim Jordan, who have called her a "zealot for global takedowns." With her term ending in January, she’s not exactly looking to start a global feud before she heads out.
Why it matters
The regulator confirmed on Monday that they don’t have a magic button to just stop the stream from starting. They’re basically stuck monitoring platforms and hoping they play ball. If they try to force a block, it’s going to be a massive W for the "free speech" crowd in the US to rally against, likely causing a headache for Aussie-US relations.
