AI-generated illustration; not a photograph of the reported event.
- calendar_today November 7, 2026
B.C. Tribunal Ruling on Intimate Image Deletion
A British Columbia tribunal has denied a second penalty against the social media platform X after the company did not delete intimate images as required by a protection order. This development follows an earlier ruling from last year that imposed a $100,000 penalty on X for failing to remove an intimate image shared via one of its accounts, despite the protection order mandating its removal.
Background: Protection Order and First Penalty
The initial case began when X was ordered to delete a non-consensually shared intimate image. Instead of complying with the global removal order, X took the step of blocking the image within Canada while leaving it accessible to users in other countries. The tribunal's first decision led to the company receiving a financial penalty.
Challenge and Global Enforcement Concerns
X challenged the initial penalty, contending that the B.C. tribunal does not have the authority to enforce such an order on a global scale. This brought up questions around the effectiveness of provincial legislation to address the distribution of intimate images by large international social media platforms.
Second Penalty Denied and Judicial Review
This week, the tribunal agreed with X’s argument and denied the issuance of a second penalty. Furthermore, the original $100,000 penalty is now under judicial review. In his written decision, tribunal vice-chair Eric Regehr stated that "internet intermediaries can avoid administrative penalties if they can prove they took reasonable steps to address the distribution of unlawful intimate images on their platforms." This clarification highlights the complexities around defining what constitutes "reasonable steps" for global technology companies.
Reaction from Online Safety Advocates
Online safety advocate Carol Todd, whose daughter Amanda Todd’s case raised awareness of the issue, expressed her disappointment in the recent ruling. Todd noted that she was not surprised by the decision, underscoring the ongoing concerns about how provincial online safety measures can be effectively enforced on international platforms.
Looking Ahead
The tribunal's decision has prompted further debates about the practical limits of B.C.'s legislation in protecting individuals from the non-consensual sharing of intimate images on social media. As the original penalty undergoes judicial review, questions remain about the reach of local laws in regulating the actions of global internet intermediaries.
Source: globalnews.ca.
