Australia: eSafety Commissioner issued removal notices to X and Meta over hosting illegal violent footage

On 7 October 2025, Australia’s eSafety Commissioner issued removal notices to X and Meta under the Online Safety Act 2021 for hosting violent footage classified as Refused Classification (RC) by the Australian Classification Board. The Commissioner stated that the content showed recent killings in the United States and cannot be legally hosted, shared, or accessed in Australia. eSafety confirmed that geo-blocking would meet compliance. eSafety emphasised that the orders only applied to the violent footage, not news coverage or political commentary.