WINNIPEG — The Manitoba government plans to expand a law governing the sharing of intimate images without consent to include near-nude images and threats to share the material.
The bill before the Legislature would also require websites to remove images.
Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said on Thursday the proposed changes are part of a set of 10 recommendations put forward in a review by the Justice Department's Crown Law Review Unit last year.
Manitoba Justice Minister Matt Wiebe
“This is an evolving space. We know there's always work to be done, but this really takes those recommendations into account and puts us at the forefront of where we need to be in Manitoba when it comes to child protection,” he said.
In Tuesday's throne speech, the government vowed to uphold the current law and make it “the strongest in Canada.”
Wiebe said that when it comes to forcing websites to remove intimate images, companies will need to follow the laws of each jurisdiction they operate in and be willing to work with local authorities.
According to the minister, there will be no fine as such, and the decision on this issue will be made by the court.
The amendments would make it illegal to photograph or distribute images of naked or nearly naked people after they have died.
Kaleen Danko, assistant general counsel at the Canadian Center for Children, said the rapid development of the Internet and image sharing is making the problem difficult to address, meaning policies must adapt quickly.
“Our organization advocates for stronger protections for victims of this form of sexual violence, which is why we are encouraged that the Manitoba government is listening and taking action.”
The center operates a national hotline for people to report online child sexual abuse and exploitation, and each year it receives hundreds of reports of images being shared without consent.
She said including the threat to publish the image was an important amendment. Once an image has been shared, it can be incredibly difficult to maintain. The threat of proliferation can be used as a coercive control tactic.
“It’s very important to recognize the harm that comes from this type of threat, this type of extortion,” Danko said.
The law was recently amended to address the problem of revenge pornography. In June 2024, Bill 24, the Protection of Intimate Images (Dissemination of Fake Intimate Images) Act, came into force.
A “fake intimate image,” sometimes called a deepfake, has been added to the definition of an intimate image. It concerned the circulation of fake intimate images created using technology that depict identifiable people naked or engaged in sexual activity.
The amendments allow anyone depicted in a fake intimate image to sue the person who distributed it without their consent.
During the federal election in April, Prime Minister Mark Carney promised to toughen penalties for sharing intimate images without consent and make it a criminal offense to distribute sexually explicit deepfakes without consent.
The government also announced that the center will receive $20,000 for online prevention programs. The money will come from the federal Proceeds of Crime Fund.
» Winnipeg Free Press, with files from The Canadian Press
