Australia’s eSafety Commissioner has just been named in a US congressional report for colluding with foreign governments and corporate cartels to censor American speech. This is a diplomatic scandal—and a threat to free expression worldwide.
Julie Inman Grant has been caught coordinating with global bureaucracies and corporate activists to pressure platforms like X to silence speech—even beyond Australian borders.
And now the world is taking notice.
It lays out how GARM—a WEF-linked advertising coalition—worked with Grant and others to blacklist voices they disagreed with under the guise of “brand safety.”
The goal? Global censorship
- eKaren coordinated with GARM to influence her “regulatory decisions”
- She demanded global takedowns of content—even in the US
- She joined efforts to pressure X after the Musk takeover
This isn’t just overreach. It’s abuse of office.
One example: After the stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel, Grant ordered X to block related content—not just in Australia, but globally. Even the victim opposed the censorship. An Australian court later ruled against her.
But the damage was done.
This kind of pressure campaign sets a chilling precedent: That unelected bureaucrats in Canberra can dictate what Americans are allowed to see online. No democratic nation should tolerate that. It’s a direct violation of national sovereignty and free speech.
Australia’s international standing is now at risk.
— Kurt Mahlburg (@k_mahlburg) July 1, 2025
We have a senior official actively undermining the principle of free expression—and damaging relations with our most important ally in the process.
This cannot be brushed aside.
The report also exposes GARM itself:
- A World Economic Forum-linked initiative
- Backed by corporate giants like Bud Light’s AB InBev, Disney, Mastercard & more
- Aims to demonetise any content it deems “harmful”—including traditional views on gender, race, or faith
Far from being a neutral regulator, Julie Inman Grant openly praised GARM’s power to “hold platforms to account.” She joined the very networks now exposed for manipulating media and advertising to advance ideological goals.
This is not online safety. It’s ideological control.
Australia’s international standing is now at risk. We have a senior official actively undermining the principle of free expression—and damaging relations with our most important ally in the process. This cannot be brushed aside. The Opposition has a responsibility here. Sussan Ley and Melissa McIntosh must publicly call for Grant’s resignation.
If she refuses to go, Anthony Albanese should remove her immediately. This is a test of political courage—for both sides of the aisle.
And if the Liberal Party won’t speak out now—against global censorship cartels, against ideological overreach, against attacks on speech—what exactly are they offering? A quiet merger with Labor in all but name?
Australians deserve better.
Free nations don’t export censorship. They defend liberty—at home and abroad.
We can’t let unelected bureaucrats define what truth is or silence those who challenge them.
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Kurt Mahlburg has studied architecture and theology among other interests of philosophy, history, surf, the outdoors and travel. He spent several years in Indonesia and has worked as a young adults pastor. He is now a teacher, a freelance writer, the Features Editor of the Canberra Declaration and contributes regularly at Caldron Pool & other online publications. He hosts his own blog 'Cross + Culture' at KurtMahlburg.blog. Follow Kurt on 𝕏.
Check out Kurt Mahlburg’s new book Cross and Culture: Can Jesus Save the West?
