The provincial government has introduced legislation to expand the legal actions people can take to stop the non-consensual distribution of intimate images. If passed, new amendments to the Privacy Act would build on existing legislation to provide victims with the power to reclaim their images and have them removed from the internet. The legislation extends the definition of protected intimate images to include digitally altered copies as well as the originals, and it would allow the victim to take legal action if someone has threatened to distribute them.

If the amendments are passed, the court could order any copies of visual recordings be returned and for the defendant to make every reasonable effort to make sure no one else can get them. The court may also order internet intermediaries to make every reasonable effort to remove or de-index all visual recordings of the victim.

A news release from the government says the court orders are intended to make it easier for victims to successfully request that online platforms remove their images, something that in many past instances has been incredibly challenging. Justice Minister Gordon Wyant says, “These changes will broaden Saskatchewan’s existing civil remedies to help victims of this despicable behaviour regain control of their intimate images.”