Increasing accountability for non-consensual sharing of intimate images 

Since BC’s Intimate Images Protection Act came into effect this January, the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) has awarded $5000 in damages for its first case in May.  

The Intimate Images Protection Act gives survivors an alternative and faster option through the CRT to remove images, videos and deepfakes posted online without their permission and to seek financial compensation.   

Survivors have criminal and civil legal options for addressing the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, but these options can be confusing, expensive and uncomfortable for survivors who may not want to take public legal action or report to the police. 

The tribunal can issue protection orders against individuals or companies requiring an intimate image to be deleted, de-indexed and removed from a website or social media platform. 

The tribunal can also award damages of up to $5,000 and order penalties for non-compliance.   

Support for survivors 

The Intimate Images Protection Service provides support, information, and resources for people in BC who have had their images shared without their consent.  

The Intimate Images Protection Service can: 

• Communicate with online platforms and/or perpetrators to remove images. 

• Help survivors make a claim with the CRT. 

• Provide emotional support and information about legal rights and options. 

• Escalate Intimate Images Protection Act orders and provide information about enforcement options. 

For more information about the Intimate Images Protection Service, call 1-833-688-4381 or email protectyourimages@gov.bc.ca. 

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection provides support services for children and youth under 19 who have experienced technology facilitated gender-based violence. For more information call 1-800-532-9135 or go to their contact page.

The Society for Children and Youth BC offers legal support for people under 19 with concerns related to family law, child protection, a breach human rights and other legal issues.   For more information call 1-877-462-0037 or email cylc@scyofbc.org. 

BC Online Safety Action Table 

In April, an online safety action table between the BC government and representatives from Meta, Google, TikTok, Snap and X was created to improve youth safety online.   

The table met in May and discussed online sexual exploitation and the sharing of private images without permission.  All the social media companies agreed to provide BC with direct escalation channels for reporting non-consensual intimate images, and to expedite and action intimate image protection orders. 

The table will announce future actions in the fall. 

In response to the creation of the table, BC government has put a hold on Bill 12, the Public Accountability and Cost Recovery Act. The proposed legislation would allow the province to proactively sue companies, including social media corporations, to recover costs associated with the promotion, marketing and distribution of products that are harmful to adults and children.