Photo: Francis Vachon archives Le Devoir Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette
Thomas Laberge – The Canadian Press in Quebec City
Published yesterday at 3:37 p.m.
- Quebec City
Non-consenting victims of intimate image sharing will now have a fast track to curb their spread. Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette’s Bill 73 was unanimously adopted Thursday in the National Assembly.
200% Deposit Bonus up to €3,000 180% First Deposit Bonus up to $20,000The piece of legislation provides a simple process for a victim to prevent or quickly stop the non-consensual sharing of an intimate image. All he needs to do is get a court order by filling out a form online or at a courthouse.
Threats to distribute intimate images are also covered by the new law.
Violators face fines ranging from $500 to $50,000 per day and could even end up behind bars.
The government is also targeting pornographic sites where videos can be found in which the people filmed have not given their consent for them to be distributed.
“When it comes to sharing intimate images without consent, the speed with which we intervene is crucial for victims. The process we are creating will allow for almost immediate action to stop or prevent the sharing of intimate images,” Minister Jolin-Barrette said in a press release.
Cases of non-consensual distribution of intimate images are on the rise, according to Statistics Canada. The agency indicates that the number of cases of non-consensual distribution of intimate images increased from 726 in 2019 to 1,168 in 2023.
But it’s the sextortion that can result that has exploded. According to the federal agency, the number of sextortion cases reported to police in Canada has jumped by nearly 300% in nearly a decade. Much of this increase has been seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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