The Australian government orders Twitter to remove an offensive tweet about Brittany Higgins and her fiancé David Sharaz
- eSafety Commission ordered Twitter to remove post
- David Sharaz filed complaint over ‘offensive’ tweet
- He then shared the news on Twitter
The federal government has forced Twitter to remove an abusive post targeting Brittany Higgins and her fiancé.
David Sharaz filed a complaint with federal eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant in April last year asking it to investigate an abusive tweet that Twitter refused to remove.
Ms. Inman Grant sent Twitter a formal notice and ordered the content removed. The message was deleted 24 hours later.
The exact content of the offensive tweet was unclear.
It was the first time the Commissioner has used new adult cyber-abuse powers to issue a notice since the Online Safety Act came into effect in January 2022.
Under the law, the Commissioner may force major social media platforms to remove offensive cyber-abuse material aimed at Australian adults.
Mr Sharaz took to Twitter on Wednesday morning to share the news: ‘No one should have to face the abuse Brittany has endured over the past two years.’
Brittany Higgins is pictured with her fiancé David Sharaz, who filed a complaint over an abusive tweet last year
The post was deleted and Mr Sharaz shared the news on Twitter on Wednesday (pictured)
He thanked the eSafety agency and commissioner for “using your deletion powers for the first time” and tagged Ms. Inman Grant’s personal profile.
The commissioner has used his powers six times since the laws were imposed last year, The Guardian reported.
“The Adult Cyber Abuse Regulation gives Australian adults a place to go if an online service provider has not taken action on a report of serious harmful online abuse,” said a spokesperson.
“Cyber abuse by adults can have a long-lasting effect on the targeted individual’s sense of security, self-esteem, mental health and physical well-being, especially if it is part of a broader pattern of abuse and harassment.”
Mr Sharaz, who calls himself a ‘prolific tweeter’, made headlines earlier this year when he changed his Twitter bio to ‘GONE’ when he quit his job as a newsreader at Southern Cross Austereo in Brisbane.
The change came after Ms Higgins reached a confidential settlement with the Commonwealth over allegations that she was raped by Bruce Lehrmann in Parliament in 2019. Mr Lehrmann denies the allegations.
Mr Sharaz’s recently updated Twitter bio now suggests he is currently a journalist, citing previous positions with SBS and Sky News.
Ms Higgins (pictured out of court, left) reached a confidential settlement with the Commonwealth over allegations she was raped in Parliament House in 2019
