Australia fines X $650k for child safety breaches, judge calls penalty a deterrent

Australia’s Federal Court has ordered X Corp to pay A$650,000 after the platform admitted it failed to meet child‑safety obligations, with the judge saying the fine works as a real deterrent. The ruling also notes the regulator’s commissioner faced personal threats after Elon Musk’s public comment.

The dispute began in February 2023 when Australia’s eSafety Commissioner issued a transparency notice to Twitter, asking for information on how the platform tackled child sexual abuse content. X, which had merged with Twitter a month later, claimed the notice did not apply because it predated the corporate change. The regulator persisted, arguing that the obligation to provide details survived the merger and was essential for protecting minors online. After years of litigation, the Federal Court upheld the notice’s validity and X entered a guilty plea, prompting the court to reconsider the penalty amount.

Justice Michael Wheelahan ordered X to pay A$650,000—roughly US$463,000 or £345,000—after the company admitted breaching Australia’s child protection laws. He stated that a penalty near the maximum is appropriate to serve as a genuine deterrent for a substantial corporation like X. The judge also added A$100,000 to cover the regulator’s legal costs, bringing the total financial obligation to A$750,000. eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant told the BBC she had received death threats and her children were doxxed after Elon Musk labeled her the “censorship commissar” in a post reaching his 196 million followers.

The decision reinforces that Australian regulators can impose significant fines when tech firms ignore transparency requests aimed at protecting children online. Legal experts say the ruling may encourage other jurisdictions to pursue similar actions against platforms that delay or refuse safety disclosures. For X, the fine adds to a growing list of regulatory challenges, including bans on under‑16s in Australia and disputes over violent content removal.

The immediate focus is whether X pays the A$650,000 fine within the 45‑day window set by the court. Observers will also watch if the platform revises its child‑safety policies to avoid further penalties and how the eSafety office handles future notices from other companies.