Manitoba looks to strengthen intimate image laws

The Manitoba government has introduced new amendments to its law on the sharing of intimate images without consent.

The Manitoba government is proposing changes to its laws on intimate images to help crack down on revenge porn and the spread of child sex abuse material on the Internet.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe announced the proposed amendments Thursday at the legislative building.

“We’ve heard from Manitobans about the fear of being recognized because of an intimate image that has been shared without their consent, and how little recourse they have when they try to get those images removed,” he said.

The amendments include changing the definition of intimate image to include “nearly nude,” make it illegal to threaten to distribute intimate images, and adds a provision to hold websites accountable if they fail to act reasonably to remove nude or nearly nude images shared without consent.

The changes also include making it illegal to take or share nude or nearly nude images of a person after their death.

Kaylin Danko with the Canadian Centre for Child Protection said the changes are needed, noting a rise in sextortion threats against boys and young men, along with AI-generated intimate images being created and shared.

“We see the devastating impact of image-based sexual violence every day,” she said. “These harms are real, lasting and profound, and they are a serious affront to the safety, well-being and dignity of children and adults alike, as well as an enormous privacy violation.”

In addition, the province also announced $20,000 in funding for the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, with money coming from the federal proceeds of crime fund. The money will be used to help with online protection for children.