Julie Inman Grant accused of harassing US companies over social media ban

U.S. Representative Jim Jordan is demanding further testimony from Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, accusing her office of attempting to impose global censorship and citing concerns over social media age bans.

Jordan Demands Further Testimony from eSafety Commissioner

Jordan gave Inman Grant two weeks to respond to his request and accused eSafety of “attempts to mandate global content takedowns, and … to design and implement a global censorship regime.” He stated Inman Grant’s previous written response, made on November 18, was insufficient.

Jordan has previously accused Inman Grant of attempting worldwide online censorship, pointing to her office’s request that X, formerly Twitter, remove graphic footage of a church stabbing in Sydney. The office argued global removal was necessary due to the potential for Australians to access the content via VPNs. That case was ultimately abandoned.

VPNs, or virtual private networks, can be used to conceal a user’s country of origin and circumvent geo-blocking of content.

Concerns Over Social Media Age Bans

Jordan also referenced Australia’s social media age bans for the first time, suggesting they may be a means to impose global restrictions on free speech in the U.S. He wrote that eSafety used concerns about VPNs as a “pretext to demand global takedowns of social media content” in 2024.

According to Jordan, documents obtained by the committee suggest eSafety may be repeating this approach. He stated the committee has obtained correspondence showing the Australian agency requesting social media companies demonstrate how they will enforce the age bans and prevent VPN use.

“New documents indicate that eSafety harassed American companies ahead of the implementation of the Social Media Minimum Age law,” Jordan said.

Political Response and US Bans

The offices of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Anika Wells declined to comment on Jordan’s attack on the Australian government official. Both Albanese and Wells showcased Australia’s social media ban for teens at the United Nations in September, but the issue was not raised during a subsequent meeting between Albanese and U.S. President Donald Trump in October.

Social media companies are largely complying with the ban, which took effect December 10, although Reddit is challenging it in the High Court.

In December, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio labeled five individuals, including Inman Grant, as “leading figures of the global censorship-industrial complex” and barred them from entering the United States. The other individuals barred were Thierry Breton, Imran Ahmed, Clare Melford, and two leaders of the German organisation HateAid.

Rubio stated that “ideologues in Europe have led organised efforts to coerce American platforms to punish American viewpoints they oppose.”

The eSafety Commission declined to comment on the matter.