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. They warned that a platform-wide switch-off would hit lawful users, not just offenders. That would be like shutting down all the freeways to prevent a few speeders.
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.
The debate also sits in a wider global pattern. Regulators in Europe and Asia opened inquiries or imposed temporary restrictions linked to Grok.
Citizengo Pushes for a Public Commitment
CitizenGO called for a clear political statement, not a quiet regulatory outcome.
The petition message warns that once a government accepts “X ban power,” it becomes part of the permanent rulebook.
X and xAI moved to tighten controls. xAI said it restricted certain image-editing functions involving real people in revealing clothing and applied location-based blocks where illegal.
CitizenGO said the government should keep the platform available for lawful speech, while enforcement targets criminals and misuse.
The “X ban power” question now sits in front of voters, even without a specific bill in Parliament.
Read the CitizenGo petition here.
