B.C. Strengthens Laws to Protect Victims of Non-Consensual Images

The British Columbia government is making laws stronger to protect people whose private and intimate images are shared without their consent. Attorney General Niki Sharma described this act as a serious form of sexualized violence.

Sharma spoke at a news conference in Victoria on Monday, at the start of the fall legislative session. She said the government will introduce a bill to change the Intimate Images Protection Act, which first came into effect in January 2024.

“Sharing someone else’s intimate images without their permission is a crime. It is wrong whether it is done to extort money, blackmail someone, or emotionally hurt someone,” Sharma said.

The proposed law will give victims more ways to seek justice. It allows the government to raise the maximum amount of money victims can claim from abusers through the Civil Resolution Tribunal. Sharma recommended setting the maximum at $75,000. This is fourteen times higher than the current limit.

“We are adding more ways for victims to get the justice they deserve, and to receive better compensation for the harm they have suffered,” Sharma said.

Since the law began, the Civil Resolution Tribunal has handled 381 cases related to intimate images. Nearly 700 people have contacted the province’s dedicated support service for help, showing the law is helping many people who are affected.

Sharma explained that victims often feel ashamed. Many do not pursue legal action because of the stigma around creating or sharing intimate images. She emphasized that the blame must shift from the victims to the people who commit the crime. “The blame for sexualized violence must be on the perpetrators, where it belongs,” she said.

The proposed amendments send a clear message that sharing someone’s intimate images without consent has consequences. Sharma said those responsible will be punished.

She also said Canada needs stronger Criminal Code laws to address sexual extortion, especially for children. Many offenders in online sextortion cases are outside the country, which makes it harder to charge them under current laws.

In addition to the changes in the Intimate Images Protection Act, the government is also introducing a new law to prevent and respond to sexual violence on post-secondary campuses.

Since 2017, public post-secondary institutions in B.C. must have sexual violence policies. Minister of Post-Secondary Education Jessie Sunner said the new proposals will strengthen these policies and fill gaps in the current system.

The proposals include stricter annual reporting requirements and expand sexual violence policies to cover faculty, staff, contractors, volunteers, and board members—not just students.

The changes also aim to improve support for survivors. Institutions will now be able to share information about interim measures and case outcomes with survivors. Sunner said this will help victims understand the steps being taken and receive better support.

Along with the law, the government is releasing a post-secondary sexual violence action plan with 12 key actions. The plan focuses on strengthening prevention programs through training, and improving data collection and reporting to track how schools respond to sexual violence.

Sharma and Sunner said these efforts aim to make both online spaces and campuses safer. They emphasized that victims should feel safe to report incidents without fear of stigma or judgment.

“Everyone deserves to feel safe, and no one should live in fear that their private images or personal safety can be violated,” Sharma said.

The government hopes the new law and action plan will make it easier for victims to report crimes, seek justice, and receive compensation. They also hope these steps will deter offenders, showing that sharing intimate images without consent is a serious crime with serious consequences.

By strengthening laws and improving post-secondary policies, B.C. is taking important steps to prevent sexualized violence, provide support to survivors, and hold offenders accountable.

The fall legislative session will now consider these proposals, and if passed, the changes will increase protection for people in B.C. against sexualized violence online and on campuses.