Twitter has lost a motion to get a complaint by an Australian Muslim advocacy group thrown out. The Australian Muslim Advocacy Network (Aman) filed the complaint after Twitter repeatedly refused to remove posts accused of inciting hatred towards Muslims.
In the complaint, Aman argued that Twitter has a responsibility to take action against hateful content posted by an account which was referenced in a manifesto of a mass murderer and white supremacist. The complaint was filed with the Queensland Human Rights Commission (QHRC).
Aman said that Twitter failed to remove the account or take down its posts and comments, some of which referred to Islam as “the most violent and sexually perverse cult” and the Qur’an as “the terrorist handbook.”
Twitter filed a motion to dismiss the complaint, arguing that it was “lacking in substance” and “misconceived.” It also argued that Queensland laws do not apply to it because it is a US company.
The QHRC did not agree with Twitter. It said that the complaint was not “misconceived or lacking in substance,” The Guardian reported.
“A foreign person is not immune from [the] application of Queensland legislation in respect of things that occur in Queensland,” a QHRC officer said.
“The service is available and operates within Queensland and as such, it is likely to be required [to] comply with Queensland legislation.”
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