The BC government is evaluating the possibility of legislation that would help victims of revenge porn.
Revenge porn, or image abuse, is the non-consensual distribution of intimate images or videos. Publishing or sharing intimate images without consent is currently an offence under Canada’s Criminal Code.
The province is “undertaking consultations” with stakeholder groups, which will be led by Grace Lore, Primary Secretary for Gender Equity. BC’s Gender Equity Office says that introducing provincial legislation could “provide additional tools for people to protect themselves and seek recourse.”
- See also:
“Without consent, circulating or threatening to distribute an intimate image is a form of sexual violence with traumatic and lasting impacts,” Lore said in an emailed statement. “The non-consensual sharing of images can be a form of intimate partner violence or be used to extort victims for additional images, sex or money.”
The province says legislation could offer a new, efficient method to have images taken down and destroyed, claim compensation from wrongdoers, and stop the initial distribution from occurring. It could also apply to altered images, which are known as deep fakes.
“We believe a comprehensive BC approach can make a real difference for people to achieve results faster and get better access to justice.”
Consultation is expected to continue until later this June.
Follow Channels and Categories