Australia's eSafety Commissioner says she has received death threats following the government's push to ban under-16s from social media and regulate tech platforms, SBS reports.
Julie Inman Grant, who runs Australia's unique online safety regulator, has become the target of violent threats as the nation takes a more aggressive stance on internet regulation than any other Western democracy. The irony is thick: people threatening violence to protest online safety measures.
The eSafety Commission has been at the centre of increasingly heated battles between the Australian government and global tech platforms. From ordering content takedowns to pursuing age verification for social media, Inman Grant's office has pushed boundaries that make tech companies nervous and free speech advocates furious.
The under-16 social media ban is particularly controversial, with critics arguing it's both unworkable and potentially harmful. How do you enforce age limits online without creating massive privacy concerns? The government hasn't sorted that out yet, but it's charging ahead anyway.
Australia has form on this - from attempting to ban encrypted messaging to ordering global content removals to now proposing age verification for social media. It's a regulatory approach that makes other Western countries look hands-off by comparison.
Tech companies hate it, arguing Australia's regulatory ambitions exceed both its technical understanding and its jurisdiction. Civil liberties groups worry about surveillance and censorship. Parents desperate to protect their kids from online harms see it differently.
And now the person tasked with implementing these policies is receiving death threats, which rather proves the point about online toxicity.
Inman Grant is a former Twitter executive turned internet cop, which gives her both insight into how platforms work and credibility with those who want them regulated. But that background also makes her a target for those who see her as a traitor to tech industry values.
