Overview

• Axel Rudakubana, sentenced to 52 years for the murder of three and attempted murder of ten, deleted his internet search history minutes before his attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
• Police have struggled to access crucial data from Google and Microsoft due to the complex legal process required for non-terrorism cases involving US-based tech firms.
• The only recovered internet activity from Rudakubana’s devices was a search for a video of a stabbing attack on a bishop in Sydney, conducted shortly before the Southport attack.
• Investigators have not found evidence of ideological or religious motives, which has hindered faster data retrieval processes typically used in terrorism cases.
• Critics, including former counterterrorism officials, have called for greater cooperation from tech companies and questioned the classification of the attack as non-terrorist.