(Cyber crime image via Shutterstock)
WINNIPEG — A new law to protect Manitoba victims of having intimate pictures distributed without their permission took effect Monday.
Also known as “revenge porn,” the Intimate Image Protection Act is part of a similar nationwide approach to protect victims of such cyber crimes.
“This is the first provincial legislation of in the country to deal with revenge porn and non-consensual distribution of sexual pictures,” said Attorney General Gord Mackintosh. “It also complements our broader investments to meet the needs of victims and reduce the damage caused by online victimization.”
The first point of contact for victims is through the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, who will assist with the removal of such images from social media, contact individuals responsible for releasing the images, and engaging with police if necessary.
The act also applies to where a person may receive intimate images of another person and distribute them without their consent. Victims can also now sue in civil court to hold a person accountable financially for distributing sexual pictures without consent.
The Canadian Centre for Child Protection has received 350 reports of non-consensual distribution of intimate images from across Canada since March 2015.
