Australia's Top Online Safety Chief Says Received Death Threats
Julie Inman Grant, who leads the eSafety Commission, revealed the harassment surged dramatically after regulations pushing the minimum age for social media access to 16 were officially announced.
The situation escalated rapidly following public condemnation from Elon Musk, who branded her a "censorship commissar." Within a single day of his remarks, roughly 75,000 posts flooded in targeting Inman Grant directly — the overwhelming majority classified as toxic, harmful, or carrying credible death threats.
Addressing a gender equality forum alongside former Prime Minister Julia Gillard, Inman Grant disclosed that she had been doxed, subjected to deepfake manipulation, and targeted with gendered abuse designed to intimidate her into silence.
"My issue is when they dox my children and my family members ... it makes you sit back and go, am I putting my family and my kids in danger, and how do I protect them?" she said.
Beyond the personal toll, the commissioner raised urgent questions about institutional protections for women stepping into high-profile regulatory roles. While elected officials routinely benefit from state-funded security, Inman Grant noted that regulators remain largely unprotected by comparable formal safeguards — a gap she argued must be addressed as more women ascend to such positions.
Far from retreating, however, Inman Grant stated the relentless campaign against her has only sharpened her determination to pursue stronger online safety enforcement, making clear that no volume of threats would derail her mission.
The pressure on major digital platforms is also mounting. Last week, the eSafety Commission issued legally binding transparency notices to leading gaming platforms — Roblox, Minecraft, Fortnite, and Steam — amid escalating alarm that online gaming environments are being exploited by sexual predators and extremist networks.
Australia made global history last year as the first nation to legislatively ban social media accounts for users under 16. Since then, a growing number of countries have begun mirroring the move, driven by deepening concerns over social media's documented impact on adolescent brain development, mental health, and academic performance.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
