VERDICT: Aussie Court Rules On Government Censorship Of Billboard Chris And ‘X’

In the COVID years we saw the mask slip on the Aussie Government as they unleashed their inner totalitarians on anyone who wouldn’t bow the knee to big government.

And whenever someone refused to bend the knee, they took it personally. We saw the heavy hand they used on the unvaccinated, for example.

And the same totalitarians that were ok with being COVIDictators annointed themselves as virtue police over what must and mustn’t be said online. The punishment was not mere scolding. He was ordered to take down the ‘offensive’ post which ‘misgendered’ someone… or else pay a fine to the tune of hundreds of thousands of Australian dollars.

X was ordered to remove it. They refused.

In a tweet announcing the impending ruling, he summarized the case this way:

Case Summary

Chris Elston, known as Billboard Chris, a Canadian father of two, took to “X” (formerly Twitter) on 28th February 2024 to share a Daily Mail article titled “Kinky secrets of a UN trans expert REVEALED”.

The article, and accompanying tweet, criticised the suitability of transgender activist Teddy Cook to be appointed to a World Health Organization “panel of experts” set to advise on global transgender policy.

Cook complained about the post to Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, who requested that “X” remove the content. The social media platform owned by free speech advocate Elon Musk initially refused, but following a subsequent formal removal order from the Commission, later geo-blocked the content in Australia. X has since also filed an appeal against the order at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in Melbourne.

Billboard Chris, with the support of @ADFIntl and the Australian Human Rights Law Alliance, and alongside Elon Musk’s “X”, is appealing the violation of his right to peacefully share his convictions.

The case was heard in Melbourne for five days on the week of March 31st 2025.

“It is vital we challenge the global spread of censorship. We’re used to hearing about governments punishing citizens for their ‘wrong’ speech in parts of the world where strict blasphemy laws are still enforced – but now, from Australia, to Mexico, to Finland, we see Western governments increasingly take authoritarian steps to shut down views they don’t like, often by branding them as “offensive”, “hateful”, or “misinformation.”

“In a free society, ideas should be challenged with ideas, not state censorship. We’re proud to stand with Billboard Chris – and others around the world punished for expressing their peaceful views – in defending the right to live and speak the truth,” commented Robert Clarke, Director of Advocacy for ADF International, who is serving as part of Billboard Chris’s legal team.

A verdict was expected to be given overnight (US time) and although delayed with some technical glitches, that verdict was given by the tribunal, with a huge win for Billboard Chris and free speech more generally.

“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,” Coleman continued.

The ruling comes amid growing international concern over the Australian government’s expansive censorship powers. In May, the U.S. State Department condemned the eSafety Commissioner’s actions as part of a broader global trend toward coercive state censorship.

“I’m grateful that truth and common sense have prevailed,” said Chris Elston. “This decision sends a clear message that the government does not have authority to silence peaceful expression. My mission is to speak the truth about gender ideology, protecting children across the world from its dangers. With this ruling, the court has upheld my right to voice my convictions—a right that belongs to every one of us. My post should never have been censored in Australia, but my hope is that authorities will now think twice before resorting to censorship”. — ADF International

The easy fix would have been backing down and deleting the post. But that would have required the sacrifice of his principles.

As we approach the anniversary of July 4th, where the Founding Fathers signed their name to a Declaration that — had they lost — would have resulted in every last one of them being hanged as a traitor, pledging their lives, Fortunes and sacred Honor, it is a good reminder to the rest us that our principles should not be so lightly laid aside as they were with so many of us during the COVID years.