British Columbia’s Attorney General expressed strong concern over social media giant X’s legal challenge against a directive to take down a non-consensual intimate image from the internet. Niki Sharma criticized the firm for contesting a clear order from B.C.’s Civil Resolution Tribunal to remove the image in violation of the province’s Intimate Images Protection Act.
The tribunal instructed X Corp. (formerly Twitter) to delete the image following a complaint from a transgender individual in B.C., whose identity remains undisclosed in court documents. Although X Corp. claims it promptly complied by blocking access to the image in Canada through geo-blocking, the tribunal imposed a $100,000 penalty in September for not removing the image globally.
In its petition to the B.C. Supreme Court, X argues that a global blocking order would challenge foreign nations’ sovereignty and endanger free speech worldwide. The company contends that upholding such orders could potentially lead to censorship by the most restrictive country globally.
X suggests that allowing global blocking orders could empower authoritarian governments that do not prioritize freedom of speech and information access. In response, the complainant labeled X’s petition as an abuse of process against the tribunal’s lawful directive.
Attorney General Sharma pledged the province’s support to defend the intimate images law, emphasizing that under B.C. legislation, such images must be removed promptly without exceptions. She stressed that providing protection only within Canadian borders is insufficient, advocating for comprehensive measures to safeguard survivors’ rights.