31-07-2025
eSafety Commissioner narrowly escapes Senate inquiry into her powers amid controversial internet search code
eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman grant has narrowly avoided facing scrutiny of a Senate inquiry as Labor moved to block a parliamentary investigation.
Labor and the Greens have halted efforts from a growing bloc of politicians who are demanding transparency and an investigation into the eSafety commissioner's role.
Senators Ralph Babet and Malcolm Roberts put forward a motion in the Senate on Thursday for an inquiry be launched into the controversial Internet Search Engine Services Online Safety Code.
The Senate voted down the motion 34-27, with members of the government, Greens and crossbench all rejecting the proposed inquiry.
The controversial code, which was ushered in by the eSafety Commissioner in June, will require Australians with search engine accounts such as Google to be subject to mandatory age checks.
Senator Babet's motion would have seen the code be investigated by Environment and Communications References Committee.
The inquiry would have probed the "scope and accountability" of the eSafety Commissioner in administering the Online Safety Act.
Ms Inman Grant would have been forced to front the Senate and explain the growing scope of her powers to police the internet.
Senator Babet also sought "appropriate parliamentary oversight and scrutiny" mechanisms for the codes and standards.
Senator Babet has condemned the Senate's decision, slamming his Labor and Greens counterparts in the chamber for blocking the inquiry.
'If this motion had passed, Big Tech and the eSafety Commissioner would have been forced to explain themselves in full view of the public,' Senator Babet said.
"Instead, Labor and the Greens have voted to shield them from scrutiny.'
'No one voted for this Commissioner. Yet she can now demand ID to log in to Google, suppress content she doesn't like, and do so without sufficient Parliamentary oversight. That should alarm every Australian."
Prior to the Thursday's Senate session, Senator Babet outlined his opposition to the dramatic shift in search engine regulations set to come into effect in December, and took aim at the unelected eSafety Commissioner.
'Bureaucrats shouldn't be making the rules without being answerable to Parliament. But that's exactly what this Labor Government is allowing," he said in a statement.
Shadow communications minister Melissa McIntosh MP on Tuesday said the the eSafety Commissioner's remit "without adequate safeguards is now in question" after Ms Inman's Grant's push for the new search engine rules.
'The voices against the code cannot be ignored and whilst the intent is to protect young people from harms it is essential that this is balanced with a person's right to privacy and protection of their personal freedoms," Ms McIntosh said.
The Senate's decision to quash the motion comes a day after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Communications Minister Anika Wells backflipped and announced YouTube would come under its under-16 social media ban.
Children younger than 16 will still be able to use YouTube, but they will not be able to hold an account.
