Quebec tables new bill to combat sharing intimate images without consent
Quebec tabled a new bill Thursday to stop intimate images from being shared without consent.
In an attempt to show just how quickly photos can be shared, Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette published a video to preview what was coming.
"What we want with that bill is to have a quick way to … delete that picture and to limit the bad consequence on the person," the minister said at the Quebec legislature.
Victims will have access to emergency legal recourse. They can fill out a form online so that a judge will quickly hear their case.
The judge can render a decision to have the photo deleted.
Those who don't respect the decision could face hefty fines between $500 and $5,000 per day and can even face jail time.
"We decided to make that tough because that’s a serious subject and we want that kind of situation to not happen again," he said.
Getting rid of these photos can be a major challenge. Researcher Christopher Dietzel studies sexual violence and welcomes this bill but he says photos can be shared and recreated very quickly.
"Even if it's removed offline, somebody can save it on their device, they can save it on their laptop, they can put it on an external hard drive," Dietzel said.
At the legislature, the Parti Québécois (PQ) was hoping Quebec would have tabled this bill earlier.
"We urged the government to tackle these issues last year and the first answers we got, including here in the chamber, was they laughed at us," said PQ MNA Pascal Paradis.
The justice minister wants people to understand just how serious sexting and sextortion can be.
"It can cost lives and people can see their lives broken about that," Jolin-Barrette said.
In the fast-paced world of technology, Quebec wants to put victims first and make sure they are properly protected. But it's still not clear how the province plans to ensure that all photos that are shared without consent are deleted for good.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Israeli military launches strikes on military targets in Iran, officials say
Israel launched airstrikes early Saturday on what it described as military targets in Iran in retaliation for a ballistic missile assault Oct. 1, officials said. There was no immediate information on damage in the Islamic Republic.
DEVELOPING Scotiabank confirms outage for mobile, online banking
Scotiabank has confirmed outages affecting mobile and online banking services, according to a statement published to its X account.
Climate change breaks heat records across Canada this summer
Human-caused climate change made almost all of Canada’s heat waves hotter and more likely, Environment and Climate Change Canada said in an announcement Friday.
'I did everything I could': Canada Post driver recounts helping save woman from fiery Tesla crash
Canada Post driver Rick Harper recounts how he and others help save a woman from a Tesla that caught fire after crashing into a guardrail on Lake Shore Boulevard.
An abrupt goodbye to a guerilla goldfish aquarium beneath a leaky Brooklyn fire hydrant
A makeshift aquarium that popped up this summer in a puddle beneath a leaky fire hydrant has been paved over, to the dismay of neighbors who turned the area into a hangout spot and goldfish shrine.
Mother who beat and starved her 5-year-old son to death sentenced to over 50 years in prison
A New Hampshire woman was sentenced Friday to 53 years to life in prison in the death of her 5-year-old son, who was beaten, starved and exposed to drugs before his 19-pound body was found buried in a Massachusetts park in 2021.
'Get away from your inner circle': Liberal MP 'shocked' PM didn't take more time to reflect on calls to resign
Longtime Liberal MP Wayne Long says Prime Minister Justin Trudeau should give more weight to the views of his backbenchers in determining his future leading the Party, rather than relying on those in his immediate orbit.
Sleeping U of M student attacked in her dorm, Winnipeg police searching for suspect
Winnipeg police are looking for a suspect after a woman's dorm room was broken into at the U of M and she was assaulted.
Canadian warship missile test aborted mid-flight after communication failure
A Canadian navy missile test was aborted mid-flight this week after controllers lost communication with the projectile off the coast of southern California.