Parody post misrepresented as Australian PM 'warning' on free speech
- Published on May 14, 2024 at 09:49
- 3 min read
- By Joseph OLBRYCHT PALMER, AFP Australia
Copyright © AFP 2017-2024. Any commercial use of this content requires a subscription. Click here to find out more.
"Are you kidding? Unbelievable!" said a Facebook post by an Australia-based user on April 24, 2024.
It included a screenshot of a post on X by an account called "Anthony Albanese..." with the handle "@AlboIsPM" and a profile picture showing an image of the Australian leader.
"This will be my final post on X. I stand firm in my belief that free speech is a dangerous tool and must be restricted," read the text in the screenshot.
"Elon Musk's commitment to free speech is a detriment to our democratic discourse. As such, in solidarity with Senator Lambie, I too shall be quitting X."
The post surfaced after Australia's eSafety Commissioner demanded X remove videos and audio clips of the stabbing of a Sydney priest in April.
The site agreed to geoblock the posts, theoretically preventing them from being seen by users in Australia.
But the eSafety Commission has called for X to remove the posts globally, saying they are still easily viewed in Australia through the use of virtual private networks that mask a user's location.
Unlike other social media companies, X has refused, claiming the issue was one of free speech.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese lashed out at X owner Elon Musk, whom he described as an "arrogant billionaire" who "thinks he's above the law".
Tasmanian senator Jacqui Lambie also criticised Musk and said she would quit the platform.
Similar posts were shared by users from New Zealand, the United States and Romania.
British comedian Russell Brand also showed the screenshot in his online show on YouTube in an episode about the row.
Comments on the posts indicated many social media users thought the screenshot showed a genuine post by Albanese.
"As an Aussie, I just feel embarresed (sic) having a baffoon (sic) like Albanese in charge," one wrote.
"It's regulation after regulation based on lies and miss information (sic). All while toting this anti-free speech rubbish. It's disgusting and I hate it," said another.
Parody post
A search on X using keywords in the screenshot found it was originally posted on the site on April 24, 2024.
The full name of the account that shared the post was actually "Anthony Albanese Australian Labor Parody".
Parts of its bio read "Fake Prime Minister of Australia" and "Unauthorised by Anthony Albanese".
Below is a screenshot of the post shared online (left) and the original parody post with the account's full name highlighted (right):
The account bore a blue check which -- before Musk's Twitter takeover -- was used as a verification system for notable accounts.
A system overhaul reserved the blue checks for paying subscribers while users with big followings subsequently also received free subscription.
An AFP check of Albanese's genuine X account on May 14 found it featured a grey badge given to verified accounts of government officials and organisations (archived links here and here).
Moreover, the parody account features a link in its bio to InfoWars, which has repeatedly published misinformation debunked by AFP here and here.
An AFP search of Albanese's account on May 14, 2024 found no trace of any post describing free speech "dangerous".
Misinformation swirled online following the Sydney church attack and an earlier stabbing in a mall in the same city days prior.
Is there content that you would like AFP to fact-check? Get in touch.
Contact us
