Who Is Responsible for Regulating Internet Content in Australia?

Analysis

The individual responsible for regulating online content in Australia, and potentially worldwide, was once an employee of the company she is now in conflict with in the Federal Court: Twitter, now known as X.

American citizen Julie Inman Grant, who rarely participates in long-form interviews, agreed to speak with the Communications Law Review in 2022, shedding light on the newly appointed eSafety commissioner.

During the interview, she mentioned that she initially studied computer science in the United States but shifted her focus to international relations after dropping out.

Her career led her to Washington D.C. in the early 1990s, where she worked at the intersection of technology, public policy, and social justice, even before the internet was widely used.

During an episode of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Q&A program, Ms. Inman Grant disclosed her experience of being a victim of sexual assault and harassment while working for John Miller, a congressman from her native Washington state.

Opportunity with the CIA

She also mentioned in another interview that she was once offered a position as a case agent with the CIA but declined due to the secretive nature of the role.

She delved into the technology sector when her Congressman approached her to analyze a “small” company named Microsoft within his district, focusing on telecommunications industry deregulation.

Microsoft appreciated her work and eventually recruited her as one of their first lobbyists after her five-year stint in Washington.

Reflecting on her time in Washington, she emphasized the importance of tech policy during that era, mentioning encounters like developing the Communications Decency Act and meeting Bill Gates at the White House early in her career.

After her time at Microsoft, she was relocated to Australia and New Zealand to establish the company’s Philanthropy, Government Relations, and Industry Affairs program for the Asia-Pacific region.

Insight into Social Media

After seventeen years at the tech company, rising to the position of Global Director for Safety and Privacy Policy and Outreach, she briefly engaged in consulting work in Australia before joining Twitter in 2012.

Recalling her time at Twitter, she mentioned witnessing both the positive and negative aspects of social media up close. Subsequently, she transitioned to a software development firm, Adobe, before being appointed as Australia’s inaugural eSafety commissioner under the previous center-right Liberal Turnbull government.

Within these companies, she described her role as an advocate for user privacy and safety, questioning the potential personal harm caused by technologies despite the benefits they offer.

She admitted to starting as a techno-optimist but gradually observing the negative impacts of technology on individuals over time.

She emphasized that while social media platforms often expose societal biases such as prejudice and discrimination, it is crucial to confront and address these issues to create a safer online environment.

Top-Down Commitment is Key

Regarding her time at Twitter, she expressed appreciation for the experience but ultimately left due to concerns about defending certain company decisions.

She concluded that a company’s commitment to safety and user well-being must come from its leadership.

Ms. Inman Grant also holds positions in various organizations focused on child protection and global alliances, garnering recognition as one of Australia’s influential women and a key figure in foreign affairs.

Her achievements include being named one of the “Agile50” by the World Economic Forum, recognizing her influential role in governmental transformations.

Appointed as eSafety commissioner in 2017 and reappointed for another five years in 2022, she balances her professional responsibilities with being a mother of three and her personal life in Australia.