The eSafety Commissioner has issued notices to Meta and X to remove vision of the Sydney church stabbing in Sydney’s western suburbs this week.
Julie Inman Grant, the eSafety Commissioner, said both companies could face fines if they fail to comply.
Sydney church stabbing
A church leader and one attendee were stabbed during a live-streamed service at Christ The Good Shepherd Church in Sydney’s west on Monday night.
Prominent Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel and a worshipper who tried to intervene sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
NSW Police have arrested a 16-year-old boy, who remains in hospital, and declared the incident an act of terrorism.
Livestream
Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel has a large social media following.
His sermons are often broadcast on the Church’s YouTube channel, which has over 200,000 followers.
Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said it’s too early to say how the livestream may have factored into the incident.
“The speed and scale of that spread [of the livestream] is what is particularly concerning,” Rowland said.
eSafety Commissioner’s warning
The eSafety Commissioner has issued ‘take-down notices’ to platforms including X and Meta over footage of the church stabbing
In the meantime, Australians are urged to not share footage of the attack.
A post to eSafety’s X account said it’s “vital we don’t use social media as a tool for division and fear but instead as an instrument of solidarity and social cohesion.”
