Quebec law that helps victims of intimate image sharing remove photos now in effect

MONTREAL — A Quebec law is coming into force, giving people new tools to obtain a court order to remove intimate images posted online.

Under the Criminal Code, publishing, texting or sharing intimate images of someone without their consent is a crime.

But for most victims, this does not always mean unlawfully shared images will get removed quickly.

“In criminal matters, the delay could be one year,” said Quebec Justice Minister Simon Jolin-Barrette. “Within 24 hours, the judge will be able to render his judgment, and to make sure that the picture or the video of intimate images will be destroyed or will be stopped.”

“A person likely would have needed a lawyer or some legal assistance,” said Gerald Kerr-Wilson, a partner and co-lead of Technology, Media and Telecommunications at Fasken.

Before the legislation came into force, Kerr-Wilson described the process of removing non-consensual intimate content as complicated and involving many hurdles.

“They would have had to commence litigation against the person, and then bring a motion seeking an injunction to prevent the sharing. There would have been evidence required.”

Kerr-Wilson explained that the order would be issued not only against “the person who is responsible for sharing the intimate images, but against social media platforms and search engines.”

The new Quebec law allows victims to fill out a form on the Quebec.ca website or at a courthouse and obtain an order from a judge requiring the images or footage to be removed.

However, minors under the age of 14 must have a parent assist with filing the application.

The minister expressed concern over the growing number of sextortion cases, particularly among children and teenagers.

In 2024, the Canadian Centre for Child Protection received an average of six sextortion reports per day — totaling more than 2,300 reports over the year.

The court order also requires files of the intimate content to be destroyed.

Failure to comply comes with stiff penalties — with fines up to $50,000 per day for a first offence or 18 months in jail.

Quebec is the second province after British Columbia to pass legislation protecting victims of non-consensual image sharing.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2025.

The Canadian Press