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Did Rehtaeh Parson's father breach Canada's cyberbullying laws?

Did Rehtaeh Parson's father breach Canada's cyberbullying laws?

The father of Rehtaeh Parsons is being accused of violating cyberbullying laws – the same laws he helped pass in the wake of his daughter’s death.

It would seem Glen Canning may have crossed the line when he recently posted a censored image relating to an ongoing sex scandal at Mount Saint Vincent University.

Halifax’s Chronicle Herald reports that Canning raised public ire last week when he posted an explicit image that a professor had sent to a student, although the image Canning posted had been blacked out and nothing was visible.

Nevertheless, it may have gone against the wording of Canada’s new cyberbullying laws, though Canning rejected the notion on Twitter.

“It’s a black rectangle people. It shows nothing and identifies no one. It’s not nude, explicit, or graphic,” he tweeted.

Last week, instructor Michael Kydd admitted to a consensual relationship with a student and resigned from the university amid an ongoing investigation.

As part of the relationship, Kydd admitted to exchanging explicit images with the student – images that of course were obtained by the public, and one of which was tweeted out by Canning.

It has since been removed from Canning’s Twitter feed, and he said the controversy surrounding the post is an example of misdirected outrage.

Notably, CTV Atlantic showed the same picture during their newscast, which is still available online.

Double standard?

Canning has become an active advocate on the issue of sexual violence following the death of his daughter. Parsons died following a suicide attempt in 2013, after naked pictures of her were spread publicly.

The fallout prompted, aside from a messy legal process, a national conversation about bullying and brought about Bill C-13.

Known colloquially as Canada’s cyberbullying bill, Bill C-13 was passed last year and became quickly contentious, with many advocates accusing the government of using it to spy on citizens.

At its heart, however, the bill makes it illegal to share intimate images of a person without their consent.

And arguably, that’s what Canning did, considering the word of the law does not state that genitalia need be visible to make it an offense. Then again, whatever may have been under that black rectangle was not visible to the public, so at worst it was the threat of an intimate image.

Regardless, Canning will not be charged. While the law came into effect in December, the Chronicle Herald notes it does not come into effect for several months.

It would be somewhat ironic, were it not so infuriating a notion, to see Glen Canning charged under the country’s new cyberbullying laws. Canning has previously written in favour of the law, specifically fighting claims that it invades personal privacy.

Considering the laws were brought on in part due to his advocacy efforts following the death of his daughter, Rehtaeh Parsons, it would be difficult to imagine he was the type of target politicians had in mind when passing Bill C-13.

As an advocate against sexual abuse, it is perhaps not notable that he would take to Twitter to express outrage over the reported tryst between a student and teacher, or perhaps even tweet a photo of a black rectangle that may or may not be covering someone’s genitals.

He clearly didn’t see that move as a bridge too far.