B.C. has made some serious changes that will impact the Intimate Images Protection Act regarding damages.
Before the change from the BC Ministry of Attorney General, victims of intimate-image abuse were entitled to damages of a maximum of $5,000.
Today, B.C. announced that the limit has increased 14 times higher, to $75,000.
The ministry says that victims can seek as much as $75,000 in compensation through the Civil Resolution Tribunal due to the amendments the Province made to the Intimate Images Protection Act. The changes are now in effect.
“Increasing the damage ceiling as high as $75,000 is a clear message that non-consensual sharing of intimate images is unacceptable in B.C. and carries serious consequences,” said Attorney General Niki Sharma in a statement.
“The Intimate Images Protection Act is delivering real results for victims of sexualized violence and this amendment is a step toward ensuring victims can get the justice they deserve,” Sharma added.
The act primarily pertains to helping people who have had their images saved without consent. Through the act, folks can apply online to the Civil Resolution Tribunal to have their images taken down from the internet, stop the distribution or threats to distribute their images and claim monetary compensation from the person, social media company, or website that shared, or threatened to share the image.
Speaking of social media companies, late last year, X was involved in a Civil Resolution Tribunal case where it was ordered to pay $100,000 in a legal fight over a photo that was being shared on the platform. Subsequently, Sharma released a statement about X challenging the tribunal’s order.
“I am deeply disturbed that the social media company X is challenging a clear order from B.C.’s Civil Resolution Tribunal to remove a non-consensual intimate image from its platform,” Sharma said.
“Major social media companies claim to care about online safety and protecting people, especially youth, from exploitation. But when faced with a chance to do the right thing and support a survivor of intimate-image abuse, X has instead chosen to fight the decision in court,” she added.
The ministry says that since the act came into play in January 2024, the tribunal has resolved 389 of the 486 submissions it had received.