Proposed bills aim to crack down on sex offenders and false intimate images in Manitoba
CTV
The Manitoba government is proposing tougher anti-crime measures in two bills now before the legislature.
The Manitoba government plans to crack down on fake explicit photos and videos, and to prevent people convicted of serious crimes from changing their names.
A bill introduced in the legislature Thursday would expand a law that already protects people whose intimate photos or videos are shared without their consent.
The law, which allows victims to sue the perpetrator and receive support in getting the images taken down, is to be expanded to include images created or altered electronically, sometimes called deepfakes.
"It may feel easy or simple to do -- to create an intimate image -- but as soon as you distribute it, you are breaking the law and you need to be held accountable for that," Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said.
The issue of photos manipulated by artificial intelligence or computer software has grown in recent months.
In January, fake AI-generated pornographic photos of pop singer Taylor Swift were shared on social media. Last year, a Winnipeg high school notified parents that altered photos of underage female students were being shared online.
"We are seeing a massive increase in reports coming in related to individuals using AI-generated apps to produce these fake intimate images," said Signy Arnason, associate executive director at the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, a national charity that combats child victimization and operates a tip line.
