02/02/2026
CitizenGO urged Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to publicly rule out any move to block or ban X.
The group framed the fight as a test of "X ban power" in Australia. It warned that a platform-wide switch-off would hit lawful users, not just offenders.
Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022 for $44 billion. He later renamed the platform X and promoted a free-speech agenda. Musk wrote that "free speech is fundamental to a functioning democracy." For background, see this AxcessNews report: Elon Musk Buys Twitter, Sparks Hope for Free Speech on the Site.
X Ban Power Meets Australia's Online-safety Regime
The petition lands during scrutiny of Grok, the AI tool tied to xAI, after reports of manipulated sexualised images circulating online.
Australia's online-safety system already targets deepfake abuse through takedown processes and enforcement action against "nudify" services.
CitizenGO argued that regulators should pursue offenders and fixes, not punish an entire platform.
CitizenGO urges Albanese to rule out an esafety X ban power as Grok deepfakes test Australia's online-safety powers and platform controls.