Australian Muslim Advocacy Group Scores Landmark Legal Victory Against Social Media Platform

In a significant win for digital rights and free expression in Australia, the Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (AMAN) has prevailed in a landmark hate speech case against the social media platform X, TRTWorld reported.

The historic ruling, handed down by an Australian court this week, affirmed the local jurisdiction’s authority to hold X accountable for content on its platform that violates Australia’s anti-discrimination laws, the source mentioned.

The case centered on AMAN’s allegations that X had allowed the proliferation of anti-Muslim content on its platforms, which the group argued incited hatred against Muslims in the state of Queensland.

X had argued that as a foreign entity, it was not subject to the tribunal’s jurisdiction, and as a company rather than an individual, it could not be held liable under Australia’s vilification statutes.

However, the tribunal rejected these claims, pointing to the local impact of X’s activities and advertising revenues derived from Queensland users.

In its decision, the court firmly established that Australia’s hate speech protections do in fact apply to social media companies operating within the country.

“This is the first such legal victory against a social media company under Australian vilification laws, which will have consequences for all social media companies operating in Australia,” an AMAN spokesperson said. The ruling, they added, demonstrates that “hate speech is governed by clear standards, not corporate discretion.”

Legal experts say the precedent set by this case could reverberate beyond Australia’s borders, potentially influencing similar legal battles over online hate speech around the world.