A tribunal in Australia handed the activist known as “Billboard Chris” a victory this month.
The proceeding in Melbourne ended with the overturning of an order from Australian eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman-Grant, who demanded Chris Elston delete a February 2024 post to X in which he criticized the appointment of Teddy Cook, a transgender-identified person, to a panel of experts at the World Health Organization, News.com.au reported.
Inman-Grant deemed Elston’s post a form of “cyber abuse,” according to ADF International.
While X — owned by billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk — initially resisted the demand from the Australian eSafety Commission, the platform ultimately determined to geo-block the post for Australian-based IP addresses. Meanwhile, both X and Elston pursued legal action against Australia.
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Beginning March 31, the Melbourne tribunal began a week-long hearing to determine whether the post constituted “cyber abuse.” Last week, the tribunal members decided Inman-Grant was wrong to classify the Christian activist’s post as abusive or intentionally targeting of Cook.
Deputy President Damien O’Donovan, who presided over the tribunal, cited Elston’s testimony, pointing to the consistency of the activist’s views. Elston has stated he would never use pronouns misaligned with a person’s actual sex because doing so is “untrue” and “has implications for the rights and safety of women and children.”
The tribunal ruled Elston’s post about Cook didn’t meet the criteria for abuse under the country’s Online Safety Act and, as such, concluded he should not have been subject to a censorial order from the commissioner.
“I am satisfied that it is his universal practice to refer to a transgender person by the pronouns that correspond to their biological sex at birth,” wrote O’Donovan.
The ruling on Elston’s favor comes amid growing concerns about the Australian government’s attempts at international censorship.
In late June, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee published a lengthy report on its investigation into the Global Alliance for Responsible Media (GARM) and its alleged cooperation with Inman-Grant. The congressional analysis found email exchanges, revealing the commissioner relied on GARM’s insights in shaping her own policies. She explained GARM had “some very powerful levers at [its] disposal” and requested frequent updates on Twitter — now X — to help her guide her decisions.
Lawmakers, led by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), are concerned GARM, which has direct ties to the World Economic Forum, poses a significant threat to free speech. Its goal is to promote online safety, but conservatives have raised concerns that GARM’s standards for “hate speech,” “misinformation,” and “harmful” content are very subjective and partisan.
Elston, for his part, has praised the tribunal’s decision in his favor.
“I’m grateful that truth and common sense have prevailed,” he said. “This decision sends a clear message that the government does not have [the] authority to silence peaceful expression.”
He added, “My mission is to speak the truth about gender ideology, protecting children across the world from its dangers.”
Paul Coleman, executive director of ADF International, called the ruling a “decisive win for free speech” and condemned the Australian government’s attempt to censor a Canadian citizen’s post on an American-owned platform.
“Today, free speech has prevailed,” said Coleman. “This is a victory not just for Billboard Chris, but for every Australian — and indeed every citizen who values the fundamental right to free speech.”
Through its Global Government Affairs Team, X called the tribunal’s decision a “victory for free speech.”
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