Statement: Canadian Centre working with the Manitoba Government to help Manitobans take back control of their image

The Canadian Centre for Child Protection (Canadian Centre) is pleased to support the Government of Manitoba’s The Intimate Images Protection Act. As the agency designated for receiving and responding to requests for information and assistance from a Manitoban who has been negatively impacted by the non-consensual distribution of an intimate image, the Canadian Centre may assist in the following ways:

• Provide instructions on getting content removed from online sites or social media
• Assist with language to reach out to the individual who shared (or may share) the intimate image
• Provide information on the civil action that can be pursued through Manitoba’s new tort
• Referral to police if the matter cannot be resolved

Cybertip.ca has received nearly 350 reports related to non-consensual distribution of intimate images. Sixty-five per cent of those reports were regarding a known youth in the image. Sixty-two per cent involved an image being shared, with the remainder involving the fear that the image might be shared.

“This new law provides Manitobans with the much-needed mechanisms for addressing the removal of intimate images from the Internet that we know can significantly impact an individual’s emotional well-being,” says Lianna McDonald, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection. “Providing Manitobans with access to support services, educational tools and resources is a critical step in helping them take back control of their story.”