British Columbia said victims of intimate-image abuse can now seek up to $75,000 in damages after amendments to the Intimate Images Protection Act took effect Wednesday.
The previous limit was $5,000.
The act came into force in January 2024 and is intended to help people whose intimate images were shared without their consent have them removed from the internet or to receive monetary compensation without going through the courts.
It covers both real and altered images, including AI-generated “deepfakes.”
The province says victims can also seek up to $35,000 in damages in provincial courts and any amount in B.C. Supreme Court.
The province introduced amendments to the Act last fall to raise the ceiling on damages. The amendments also make orders from the Civil Resolution Tribunal more enforceable and remove the requirement that the CRT publish damage decisions online, in an effort to better protect the privacy of victims.
“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.
Her ministry said the tribunal has received 486 submissions since the Act came into force, and 389 have been resolved so far.
The province said anyone affected by intimate-image abuse is urged to seek support from the Civil Resolution Tribunal and the Intimate Images Protection Service via the website https://takebackyourimages.gov.bc.ca/.
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