British Columbia curbs non-consensual sharing of intimate images

These acts are prosecutable in British Columbia, effective from first reading of the bill Monday.

The future law will take into account the sharing of intimate photos and videos or showing nudity, including live video and digitally altered images.

The British Columbia government on Monday introduced a bill in the Legislature to protect victims of sextortion and sextortion not consented to intimate images.

Attorney General Niki Sharma made the announcement accompanied by Carol Todd, the mother of Amanda Todd, a Port Coquitlam teenager who took her own life after being bullied and bullied. online extortion.

It happened to Amanda, but many other young people are going through this. Not just in British Columbia or Canada, but all over the world, said Carol Todd, invited to speak at a press conference.

Amanda Todd took her own life in 2012 after a campaign of online harassment and extortion.< /p>

To speed up the legal process, the province indicates that victims will be able to report these acts to the Civil Resolution Court, presented as the first online court in Canada, integrated into the British justice system. -Colombian. An online portal is being developed for this purpose.

A completed online form will allow victims to quickly obtain the removal of intimate images on the Internet. This online process will also make it easier for prosecutions to seek reparations, the Attorney General says.

“We have extended this legislation so that a child does not need to reveal it to their parents in order to proceed. Sometimes it's a barrier that keeps it to themselves and the images keep flowing.

—Niki Sharma, Attorney General of British Columbia

A caregiver, teacher or anyone who has contact with a young victim may accompany them in this process, adds Niki Sharma.

For the Attorney General, this bill sends a clear message that circulating or threatening to circulate intimate images is sexual violence and can have devastating impacts.

“Nobody wants to know why you think you are doing these actions. They are against the law. If it's not your image, you don't have the right to decide who can see it.

—Niki Sharma, Attorney General of British Columbia

According to a statement from the province, although the bill will have to pass three stages of reading in the Legislative Assembly before being adopted and becoming a law in its own right, its application will be retrospective. This means that sharing of intimate images without consent is subject to prosecution as of the bill's first reading on Monday.

Reports of sextortion involving teens are on the rise skyrocketing in Canada. They increased by 56% from March to August 2022, according to Cybertip.ca, the Canadian center for reporting cases of sexual exploitation of children on the Internet.

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