Guide to Provincial Intimate Images Protection Acts in Canada

Provincial intimate images protection laws are reshaping how lawyers build privacy and consent claims Not all privacy laws are created equal, and when it comes to intimate images, the differences between provinces can either expose or protect a personal injury case. Across Canada, intimate images statutes are growing and reshaping how personal injury lawyers approach privacy, consent, and compensation. In this article, we’ll discuss the different intimate images protection laws in each province, their differences, and the ways that lawyers can use them in building up a case. The Intimate Images Protection Act is a civil law that makes it a tort for a person to distribute, or threaten to distribute, intimate images of someone without their consent. One feature shared by most provincial versions of this law is that a victim does not have to prove they suffered financial harm to bring a claim. As such, the act of non-consensual distribution is itself actionable. Federally, sharing intimate images without consent has been a criminal offence under section 162.1 of the Criminal Code of Canada. It carries a maximum sentence of five years on indictment. However, criminal law gives victims no direct compensation, no image removal, and no say in the process. This is where provincial civil laws on intimate images protection comes in. The most recent federal update came in June 2026, when Bill C-16 or the Protecting Victims Act received royal assent. It extended criminal liability to cover deepfake intimate images and threats to distribute, which are two areas that Canadian criminal law had gone silent. On the civil side, the definition of an “intimate image” is broadly consistent across provinces. It typically covers: Here’s a video about British Columbia’s Intimate Images Protection Act, which will be further discussed below: Check out our article on “ Personal injuries proceedings act: Limits, notices, and traps ” to learn about the factors that lawyers and litigants should not miss in these cases. Every province has some form of civil protection against non-consensual distribution of intimate images (NCDII), though they vary significantly in scope, remedies, and procedure. Here are some of the provinces which have their own version of the Intimate Images Protection Act: We’ll briefly summarize them below. Manitoba led the way in 2016, passing what was then called the Intimate Image Protection Act. It has now been renamed to Non-Consensual Distribution of Intimate Images Act, after amendments in 2023, 2024, and 2026. Manitoba’s law is the most technologically current. It has separately defined “fake intimate image,” which explicitly covers deepfakes and AI-generated content produced through machine learning or software manipulation. British Columbia’s Intimate Images Protection Act , which came into force on January 29, 2024, built one of the most accessible civil processes in the country. Victims can apply online to the Civil Resolution Tribunal (CRT) without a lawyer and without proving harm. As of March 2026, the CRT can award up to $75,000 in damages, which was raised from a previous ceiling of $5,000. Nova Scotia’s Intimate Images and Cyber-protection Act, in force since July 2018, is the broadest in scope. It covers both NCDII and cyber-bullying, and its government-designated Cyberscan Agency provides victims with public education, dispute resolution, mediation, and restorative justice services. This version of Intimate Images Protection Act is the most comprehensive victim-support model outside British Columbia. New Brunswick’s Intimate Images Unlawful Distribution Act is notable for treating threats to distribute as a standalone tort, actionable without proving any damage. Below is a video about Quebec’s Bill 73, which is a counterpart of the Intimate Images Protection Act in this province: Check out Canadian Lawyer’s Special Report