ratchet up

Google’s YouTube has ratcheted up censorship to a new level by removing two videos from a U. S. Senate committee

Wall Street Journal@

( ratchet up ( phrasal verb
to increase something by a small amount, especially after a series of increases, or to increase in this way
ratchet something ↔ up
Raising the minimum wage would ratchet up real incomes in general.

The debate will ratchet up a notch on Wednesday when the Commission publishes its report.