It’s on: Chris Eston’s (AKA ‘Billboard Chris’) opportunity to face the eSafety Commissioner in a courtroom is set to take place in just a matter of weeks, in a trial that will help determine the future of free speech in Australia.

Beginning on March 31, the trial comes after Chris, who gained popularity travelling the world raising awareness about puberty blockers and their impact on children, had a social media post removed and geoblocked at the request of Australia’s eSafety Commissioner.

The post questioned the suitability of an Australian transgender activist’s role on a ‘panel of experts’ for the World Health Organisations, which was to advise on global transgender policy.

After a notice was delivered by the eSafety Commissioner to social media platform X (formerly Twitter), the post was geoblocked in Australia, a move that Chris considered to be censorship.

Billboard Chris is taking the eSafety Commissioner to court saying that this move infringed on his right to free speech.

“[The use of toxic puberty blockers] is a serious issue with real world implications, and we need to be able to discuss it,” he told ADF International.

Billboard Chris, with the support of Human Rights Law Alliance and ADF International, is challenging the eSafety Commissioner’s actions, which he says is a violation of his right to share his convictions. Elon Musk’s X is also joining the challenge against the Australian government.

The trial represents an important flashpoint amid growing concerns about free speech and government censorship in Australia.

The eSafety Commissioner has drawn criticism in recent months.

In a judgment last month, Justice Kyrou of the Administrative Review Tribunal noted the Commissioner’s lack of accountability and the “potentially serious consequences for end users of online services resulting from the Commissioner’s use of complaint alerts and her advocacy role”.

The power of bureaucrats and government departments to decide what Australians are allowed to discuss online raises serious concerns and creates a chilling effect on public discourse of contentious issues.

The upcoming case involving Billboard Chris should be an important check on this power, and will hopefully create a landmark legal precedent and strengthen the right of all Australians to speak truth freely.

Whatever the outcome, HRLA will work to protect all Australians against government censorship at every level.