Tribunal Rejects eSafety Commission’s 3rd Attempt to Avoid Review of Informal Takedowns

The Administrative Review Tribunal has again ruled that Julie Inman Grant ‘informal’ notices to tech companies are still subject to scrutiny.

Australia’s eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant addresses the National Press Club in Canberra, Australia on June 24, 2025. AAP Image/Lukas Coch

Australia’s online safety chief, Julie Inman Grant, has again been told by a federal tribunal that she cannot avoid legal review by using informal methods to contact tech companies instead of issuing a formal takedown notice under the Online Safety Act.

The Administrative Review Tribunal (ART) said this is the third time eSafety has failed in such an attempt, but the first time a complaint has centred on an online comment by the Commissioner herself.