Deepfake and altered images depicting a Bondi Beach terror attack survivor holding an Academy Award while covered in blood spread “like wildfire” online just hours after the shooting, a royal commission has heard.
The Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion has entered its third hearing block, which will focus on the spread of hate speech online and in traditional media sources.
The inquiry was called earlier this year after 15 people died during the terror attack in Sydney’s east on December 14, 2025.
Witnesses to be called on Monday have all experienced antisemitic hate speech, including Bondi Beach terror attack survivor Arsen Ostrovsky.
Mr Ostrovsky told the royal commission an image of his injuries shared on X about two hours after the shooting prompted offensive comments and manipulated images.
“There were messages of solidarity, but there was almost immediately an influx of hate, of abuse, of vilification, of AI manipulation,”
he said.
“It was surreal to be in the state that I was in hospital and seeing this material at the same time.”
He said social media comments labelled him a “trauma tourist” and an actor in a “false flag attack”, while some claimed the blood depicted in his photo was instead ketchup or paint.
The commission was shown one AI-generated image which depicted Mr Ostrovsky sitting on the ground laughing while someone painted his face red.
“This was happening as I was literally being prepped to go into surgery,” he said.
‘Hostile’ US social platform’s boss lashes royal commission
Gab Social CEO Andrew Torba says he has been asked to provide information to the royal commission. (YouTube: Andrew Torba)
It comes as a US-based social media platform Gab Social was accused of being “hostile” in its engagement with Australia’s antisemitism royal commission, with an organisation’s founder accusing the federal government of having “declared war on free speech”.
A number of social media platforms have been given leave to appear at the inquiry, including Meta, Google, LinkedIn and TikTok.
Addressing the royal commission on Monday, counsel assisting Richard Lancaster SC said some platforms had been more responsive than others to requests for information.
He said Gab Social had been “openly hostile” in its communications with the commission.
Mr Lancaster said a spokesperson for the platform said it was an “American company, run by Americans” that would “publish what it likes, when it likes”.
“I do not answer to Australian bureaucrats and Gab does not answer to state-sponsored censors,” Gab founder and CEO Andrew Torba said in a statement on X in May about being called to produce documents for the royal commission.
“The Australian government has officially declared war on free speech, and they have threatened me with 12 months in prison for exposing their blueprints.”
Public broadcasters expected to appear
Media organisations, including the ABC and SBS, are also due to appear over the next two weeks.
The public broadcasters’ submissions to the inquiry have not been made public.
Hearings have been held in Sydney since May with much of the previous block closed to the public due to national security and legal concerns.
Some witnesses have previously reported an increase in online harassment after they appeared at the inquiry, with a number of allegations reported to the Australian Federal Police (AFP).
A man in Woodburn in northern NSW was charged after allegedly sending three offensive emails to one royal commission witness.
The inquiry is set to move to Melbourne next month to examine the impact of antisemitism at Australian universities.
More than 20,000 submissions have been made to the inquiry, which must deliver its final report by the first anniversary of the terror attack.
