NDP cyber-protection updates protect women and girls from deepfakes, online harassment

HALIFAX – Today, the Official Opposition will table legislation to better protect Nova Scotians from the growing threat of AI-generated intimate images and online harassment.

The NDP bill updates Nova Scotia’s Intimate Images and Cyber-protection Act to add AI-generated images. It follows the acquittal of a Nova Scotia man in a case where AI was used to create nude images of his high school classmates, which were posted online without their consent.

“People are worried and concerned about keeping themselves and their children safe online. In a province that has acknowledged the epidemic of intimate partner and gender-based violence, we need to do everything we can to make sure the laws in place meet the moment,” said NDP Leader Claudia Chender. “Women and gender-diverse Nova Scotians have been clear: there are very real harms online, and right now, the law doesn’t allow people to protect themselves against AI-generated images in court. This is a simple, practical update that would help Nova Scotians and protect people facing online harassment and harm.”

The NDP legislation would expand the definition of intimate images to include AI-generated and ‘deepfake’ images. It also strengthens the law by expanding the reasonable expectation of privacy and allowing the subject of intimate images to revoke consent for their images to be shared at any time.

“As times change, we need our laws to keep up. We need to do more to ensure we are tackling gender-based violence in our province, and updating laws like this is an important step,” said NDP Justice Critic Suzy Hansen. “Along with supporting survivors and front-line organizations with funding, we also need to look at how to improve laws like these to better protect Nova Scotians.”

Similar laws already exist in Manitoba, British Columbia, and Quebec to protect residents of those provinces.

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