
Non-Consensual Distribution of Intimate Images
If an intimate image of you was distributed without your permission, you are not alone. With the rise in popularity of social media and technology,
Reclaim provides legal information and free legal advice and representation to people in Ontario, Canada, who have had intimate or sensitive images shared or published without their consent.
Reclaim is a collaboration between the University of Windsor Faculty of Law and Spark Law Professional Corporation.
Almost everyone carries a camera around these days. Taking photographs—our food, our kids, our pets, and ourselves are most frequently the subjects—is a prominent feature of everyday life. Social media and instant messaging apps make sharing these photographs easy, and when that sharing is consensual, everything works just fine.
Sometimes, we choose to share intimate images (selfies or otherwise) with those we trust. Such photographs are shared consensually at first, usually strictly within the special relationship of trust that exists between intimate partners. There is absolutely nothing wrong with this.
What is wrong is when someone chooses to violate that trust. When these images are shared or distributed in violation of the terms of the limited consent under which they were originally given, the result can be extreme embarrassment, humiliation, and social ostracization, resulting in serious emotional and mental harm.
Women are overwhelmingly the majority of the victims of this non-consensual sharing of intimate images. And just as with other conduct which violates consent, victim-blaming often takes focus away from the true wrongdoers: the ones who are violating the trust and the limits of the consent that was originally given.
In Ontario, the law allowing someone to sue a person who has distributed an intimate image without consent is still developing. Some other provinces have passed legislation to create a legal right to sue, the law in Ontario is still developing through judges’ decisions. So while things are a bit complicated, we can help. Check out our information pieces or book a consultation to see if the Reclaim Pro Bono Project can help you.
If an intimate image of you was distributed without your permission, you are not alone. With the rise in popularity of social media and technology,
In recent years, provincial governments across Canada have passed legislation to address the non-consensual distribution of intimate images, and allow for victims to seek compensation.
If an intimate image of you was distributed without your permission, you may be able to seek both civil and criminal remedies. When someone shares
“In recent years, technology has enabled predators and bullies to victimize others by releasing their nude photos or intimate videos without consent. We now understand
Although there is no civil legislation currently in place to address the non-consensual distribution of intimate images in Ontario, the Courts have begun to recognize
When steps are taken, your case may be able to proceed without your name or identifiable information becoming public. Your right to privacy is important