Elon Musk’s social media network X has been fined A$650,000 (US$463,000) by the Australian Federal Court after admitting it failed to provide sufficient information about its efforts to combat online child abuse material. The penalty, handed down on Thursday, concludes a three-year legal battle with the eSafety commissioner.
The eSafety commissioner issued a legal notice to X, then known as Twitter, in February 2023, requiring the company to report on its compliance with basic online safety expectations regarding child sexual exploitation and abuse material. Twitter merged into X Corp on 15 March 2023, and provided its initial report on 29 March, but the commissioner found unanswered questions and sought further information, which was eventually provided on 5 May.
The commissioner took X Corp to court, arguing it had contravened the Online Safety Act between 29 March and 5 May by not properly responding to the notice. Justice Michael Wheelahan ruled in the commissioner’s favour in October 2024, rejecting X Corp’s argument that it was not liable due to the merger. The full Federal Court upheld the decision in July 2025 after X Corp appealed.
On Thursday, X Corp admitted the contraventions, noting they occurred during a period of significant corporate restructuring. The parties agreed to a A$650,000 penalty, which Justice Wheelahan imposed, stating that a penalty near the maximum of A$687,500 was appropriate to serve as a deterrent for a substantial corporation. X Corp also agreed to pay A$100,000 towards the commissioner’s legal costs.
The eSafety commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, welcomed the ruling, stressing the importance of international companies complying with Australian regulations. “Meaningful transparency is critical to holding technology companies to account,” she said in a statement.
