Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, is facing scrutiny from conservative and libertarian groups in Australia, with some calling for her removal. This comes as she also draws attention from the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary regarding Australia’s internet laws.

Concerns Over Commissioner's Powers

Inman Grant, a U.S.-born former tech executive, holds the position of eSafety Commissioner, an unelected role established under the Online Safety Act 2021. This legislation has been described as a "world-first attempt at regulating the internet." A new group, the Free Speech Union of Australia, has launched an online petition through EndSafety.au, advocating for the dismissal of Inman Grant and her office. The website states that while the Online Safety Act 2021 was intended to include safeguards for political expression, the Commissioner has reportedly circumvented them, with her office accused of acting in a partisan manner and pursuing political vendettas.

The Free Speech Union of Australia is affiliated with the U.K.’s Free Speech Union, which focuses on issues such as "cancel culture" and protecting free speech for employees and civil servants. The British group believes that free speech is "under assault across the Anglosphere," particularly in areas like schools, universities, the arts, the entertainment industry, and the media.

Another Australian conservative libertarian group, the Brownstone Institute, published an investigation into Inman Grant, authored by Rebekah Barnett and Andrew Lowenthal. The article, titled “The Face Behind Australia's Censorship Push,” examines Inman Grant’s background in light of her recent international headlines concerning alleged censorship creep in a standoff with X.com and Elon Musk.

Barnett and Lowenthal assert that Inman Grant’s current actions are part of a broader network of international initiatives aimed at imposing bureaucratic controls over citizens’ speech. This includes coordination with EU officials, the World Economic Forum, and government-backed "anti-disinformation" projects such as the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.

Standoff with X.com and U.S. Congressional Interest

The confrontation between Inman Grant and Australian conservatives intensified after she attempted to compel X to hide footage of a non-fatal stabbing of a Bishop, which was live-streamed during a Western Sydney church service on April 15. X Global Affairs stated that the platform complied with a removal notice from the Commissioner to restrict content visibility to Australian audiences. However, X challenged a subsequent demand to "globally withhold these posts or face a daily fine of $785,000 AUD," calling it "unlawful."

Elon Musk publicly questioned Inman Grant’s demands, stating, "Our concern is that if ANY country is allowed to censor content for ALL countries, which is what the Australian ‘eSafety Commissar’ is demanding, then what is to stop any country from controlling the entire Internet?"

Inman Grant has also drawn attention from the U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary. The committee’s chair, Republican Jim Jordan, requested her appearance to testify about laws governing the internet. Jordan, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, stated in a letter to the commissioner that she is "uniquely positioned to provide information about the law’s free speech implications" as a "primary enforcer of Australia’s OSA [Online Safety Act] and noted zealot for global take-downs." The committee does not have jurisdiction over the Australian government or U.S.-Australian diplomatic relations, meaning Inman Grant can decide whether to appear.

Commissioner's Background and Approach

After college, American-born Inman Grant was approached to join the CIA but chose eSafety instead. She revealed in an interview, "I wanted to do psychological profiles of serial killers but the CIA wanted to talk me into becoming a case agent — which meant that I wouldn’t be able to tell my friends and family what I was doing so that scared me off." Her career includes a tenure at Microsoft in the U.S. and later at Twitter before Elon Musk's ownership.

Married to an Australian, Inman Grant was selected by then-Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in 2017 to be Australia’s first eSafety Commissioner. Turnbull, of the conservative Liberal Party, designed the position as Communications Minister, and it became official with the 2015 Enhancing Online Safety Act. The 2021 Online Safety Act expanded the Commissioner’s powers over a broader range of services and content.

Inman Grant has referred to her broad powers to influence tech corporations as "a big stick that we can use when we want to," adding, "They’re going to be regulated in ways they don’t want to be regulated." At the World Economic Forum’s annual gathering in 2022, she advocated for "a recalibration of a whole range of human rights that are playing out online, from freedom of speech to the freedom to be free from online violence."

Inman Grant has acknowledged conversations with the U.S.-based lobby NCOSE (formerly Morality in Media) and appeared on an NCOSE podcast at the Coalition to End Sexual Exploitation summit in July 2021, shortly after the Australian Parliament passed the Online Safety Act. In November 2021, the Australian investigative outlet Crikey published a report on her focus on banning online pornography.

Key Facts

  • Julie Inman Grant is Australia’s eSafety Commissioner, an unelected position.
  • A new group, the Free Speech Union of Australia, is petitioning for her dismissal.
  • Inman Grant has been involved in a dispute with X.com and Elon Musk over content removal demands.
  • The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary has requested Inman Grant testify regarding Australia’s internet laws.
  • Inman Grant has a background in Big Tech, including Microsoft and Twitter.
  • She has spoken about "recalibrating human rights" online and has engaged with groups like NCOSE.