Taking back privacy and dignity
BC Government Communications & Public Engagement
Intimate Images Protection Services
Awareness Campaign
Private images are meant to be just that, private.
Until recently, victims of non-consensual sharing of intimate images had no meaningful recourse. Unless they had high-powered attorneys or a network of counsellors, many people had to help themselves cope with the shame, social pressures and extortion. In some cases, it led to people taking their lives.
They just didn’t know what to do.
That changed when the BC Attorney General and Ministry of Public Safety announced a protection act that paved the way for the Intimate Images Protection Services, a very necessary online service with an unnecessarily long name.
We believed we could help people reclaim their images and dignity.
Part of the answer was renaming the URL to be clear and confident. We called it TakeBackYourImages.gov.bc.ca
Next, we acted as if people had stumbled upon something they shouldn’t see. To pique curiosity, we used blurry or pixelated images to signal offensive or sensitive content but with a twist. Each ad delivered unexpected messages on how “Sent is not consent” when it comes to intimate image sharing.
Importantly, we needed to avoid shaming, triggering or re-traumatizing victims. Taking an intimate photo isn’t wrong. Sending it to a partner isn’t wrong. It’s the widespread sharing of these images to social media and nefarious sites that is illegal.
Clearly, people needed help.
Before campaign launch, takebackyourimages.gov.bc.ca was getting about 200 page views a day. But in just six weeks, the site had 121,000 page views with the help of over 90,000 clicks from our campaign’s TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram and Facebook ads.
Most importantly, people were getting the information and support they needed, and, that those who desperately wanted to take action could take back their images while reclaiming their privacy and dignity.