The Australian government has been taken to court by an internet personality known as “Billboard Chris,” who challenged the nation’s “eSafety” commission’s authority to geo-block a tweet criticizing the appointment of an Australian transgender activist to a World Health Organization board.
Chris Elston, a Canadian national who often expresses his free speech through slogans and tweets on sandwich boards in public places, had a tweet of his geo-blocked by the Aussies – which was a ‘share’ of a U.K. Daily Mail article about the transgender activist headlined “Kinky secrets of UN trans expert revealed.”
The activist, Teddy Cook, filed a complaint with Australia’s eSafety commissioner, which led to a request for X to censor it.
X initially refused, but assented after the government issued a formal order to do so, according to Alliance Defending Freedom International, which is backing Elston. Elston is challenging the move before the Administrative Review Tribunal on Monday.
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“I’m in Australia because their government think their people don’t deserve to know and to make their own mind up about toxic gender ideology,” the London-based ADFI’s Lois McLatchie Miller said on X ahead of the case.
“This post from @BillboardChris has been withheld in Australia in response to a legal demand; learn more,” a message on the tweet’s URL posted by McLatchie Miller from the Land Down Under read.
“Is that image offensive? Absolutely. It’s offensive to my eyes, because someone appointed as a WHO expert should not be posting those perverted photos, and promoting drugs and bestiality,” she added, citing content from the Daily Mail piece.
Speaking with Fox News Digital, McLatchie Miller said the situation is a “monumental” case for global free speech, and “the ultimate ‘What is a Woman’ suit.”
“It’s an Australian authority bucking the speech of a Canadian man on an American platform,” she said.
“So the Australian authorities have found that because they don’t want Australians to be able to hear a message and discuss a certain topic, they have now reached over to other countries to block that free speech, which is in and of itself fascinating.”
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“Over the last few weeks, when it comes to foreign governments having very surreal policies which are thought to only impact their citizens and their citizens’ human rights, but also the rights for Americans, rights for Canadians, others around the world,” McLatchie Miller said.
Elston had also recently been fined AU$806 ($508) for “obstructing people” and removed from a public sidewalk by law enforcement after he engaged with passersby about another message on his sandwich board: “Children cannot consent to puberty blockers.”
McLatchie Miller’s group noted the case echoed recent stated concerns about global censorship from Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference earlier this year. Vance also brought up his concerns in a joint presser with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
“We also know that there have been infringements on free speech that actually affect not just the British – of course, what the British do in their own country is up to them – but also affect American technology companies and, by extension, American citizens,” Vance said at the time.
Fox News Digital reached out to Vance’s office for comment on being invoked in the case.
ADFI advocacy director Robert Clarke said in a statement on Elston’s case:
“The decision of Australian authorities to prevent Australian citizens from hearing and evaluating information about gender ideology is a patronizing affront to the principles of democracy.”
X is also challenging a six-figure penalty imposed by Australia in 2023 after failing to provide information on how it was addressing exploitation and abuse on its platform, according to News.com.au.
Fox News Digital reached out to Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant’s office for comment.
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