Elon Musk replies to post by far-right Austrian linked to Christchurch terrorist after X account restored | Elon Musk | The Guardianhttps://www.theguardian.com/technology/2024/mar/19/elon-musk-replies-x-twitter-martin-sellner-far-right-identitarian-movement-christchurch-terrorist-attackDr Josh Roose, an expert in extremism at Deakin university, said Sellner’s account is the latest in a long line of far-right accounts, including the leader of the National Socialist Network in Australia, being allowed back on X under Musk.
“Coincidentally all of them in some way, shape or form interacted with Brenton,” he said.
“Now that these groups have come back and since they’ve been allowed back on the platform, they all follow each other’s accounts and they’ve linked internationally. So that’s also enabled the movement to build links and build contacts.”
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In January, Australia’s eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, revealed that, based on data provided to her by X between November 2022 and May 2023, X had reinstated 6,103 Australian accounts, including 194 that were suspended for violating what was then X’s hateful conduct policy.
“A number of these reinstated users were previously banned for online hate,” Inman Grant said at the time. If you let the worst offenders back on while at the same time significantly reducing trust and safety personnel … there are clear concerns about the implications for the safety of users.”