An Australian federal court has upheld a fine against over failures to comply with child internet safety regulations, ending a three-year legal battle between the company and the Australian government.
The case began after Australia’s online safety regulator,, demanded detailed information in February 2023 on how the platform, then known as Twitter, was tackling the spread of child sexual abuse material online.
After the platform was merged into X under, regulators accused the company of providing “incomplete” responses to repeated requests for information. A federal court had already ruled in October 2024 that X was legally required to comply with the notice. On Thursday, May 21, the court ordered the company to pay a fine of AU$650,000 (US$464,900).
Federal Justice Michael Wheelahan said, “A penalty near the maximum is appropriate in the case of the respondent, which is a substantial corporation, so that it operates as a real deterrent and is not simply a cost of doing business.”
Australia has become one of the leading countries pushing stricter controls on major technology companies, including introducing world-first laws banning children under 16 from using social media platforms such as and.
According to reports, countries including,, and have shown interest in adopting similar restrictions after discussions with Australian officials. Responding to the ruling, eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant said, “Meaningful transparency is critical to holding technology companies to account.”
“This is not only a key part of our work as Australia’s online safety regulator, it also provides the Australian public with important information about how these companies are tackling the worst-of-the-worst content on their platforms,” she added.