Unfortunately, violent episodes such as those of Christchurch will happen again and more violent material will likely be generated. Impeding the spread of atrocious, violent content from online platforms is a legitimate concern to inoculate society from the horrors of such episodes. Facebook and YouTube might have been too slow and clunky in response to the attacks, but threatening to put their executives in jail, as the Morrison government is threatening to do, will not make any Australian citizen any bit safer. Instead, it will likely reduce the freedoms that we all take for granted.

... By clamping down on the online platforms that allow for this rich exchange of ideas and information, we will inevitably hit the brakes on an open and free online space. Online platforms will be incentivised to err on the side of censorship... Some governments use broad definitions of “terrorism”, “hate” or “immoral content” to silence critics, political parties, journalists and other vulnerable communities... An open, free and democratic society... needs to allow its democratically elected representatives to deliberate calmly and openly about the rules we need, not rush through new criminal laws in a few days... If the government fails to protect online speech, Australians will not be safer but the champions of intolerance will have won.