Last week, X’s Global Government Affairs team said it would legally challenge an order by Australia’s eSafety Commissioner to take down violent and offensive posts of the attack, arguing the commission did not have “the authority to dictate what content X’s users can see globally.”

Speaking to reporters in Canberra on Monday, Albanese said: “I find it extraordinary that X chose not to comply and are trying to argue their case,” adding that the issue wasn’t about freedom of expression but rather dangerous misinformation that can be “weaponized.”

Musk targeted the country’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant on X over the weekend, calling her the “Australian censorship commissar,” claiming her agency was demanding “*global* content bans,” and sharing a post accusing her of being an activist trying to “police the internet” and “censor debate.”

In an interview on Monday, Australian Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said Musk was an “egotistical billionaire” who thinks it’s more “important for him to show whatever he wants on X…than to respect the victims of the crimes.”

The government has found backing from the leader of the country’s opposition coalition, Peter Dutton, who accused social media companies of acting “above the law” and offered support for legislation to crack down on misinformation.