A porn site has posted photos of many famous Italian women, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and opposition leader Elly Schlein, who caused anger in Italy.
The photos are accompanied by vulgar and sexist captions, either harvested from personal social media accounts or have more than 700,000 subscribers before the changes and releases were made on the Italian platform Phica.
Images of female politicians from various parties are taken during rally or TV interviews or when women are wearing bikini during holidays. They have been changed to enlarge the body parts or suggest sexual positions. They appear in the “VIP section” of the website.
The scandal has resumed debate in Italy over ongoing misogyny and gender-based violence, a week after Meta closed an Italian Facebook account called Mia Moglie (My Wife) The man exchanged intimate photos of his wife or unknown women.
Phica, a misspelling game in Italian clang, released in 2005, seems to operate unhindered until several politicians from the Centre-Left Democratic Party (PD) announced that they had filed legal complaints. Police are now investigating.
Meloni's sister Arianna was also targeted at the location, and did not comment when she contacted reporters late Wednesday, according to Corriere Della Sera.
Other photos of more well-known women used on the site include Paola Cortellesi, an actor and Italian box office director, about domestic violence, C'èancoraancora Domani (Tomorrow still has tomorrow) and influencer Chiara Ferragni.
PD politician Valeria Campagna was one of the first to file a formal complaint, prompting several others to come forward, which Italian media described as “Italy #MeToo.” The online petition calling for the closure of the site has collected over 150,000 signatures.
In a Facebook post Wednesday, Campagna wrote that she was “disgusted, angry and disappointed” and “cannot remain silent” and found her photos were published on the spot without permission.
“It's not just a photo in the swimsuit, but a moment of my public and private life,” she wrote. “Below them, there are gender discrimination, vulgar and violent comments. I can't keep silent because this story is not only about me. It's about all of us. It's about our right to live freely, respect and fearlessly.”
Her PD politicians Alessia Morani, Alessandra Moretti and Lia Quartapelle quickly followed suit.
Morani wrote on Instagram that the comments below her photos were “unacceptable, obscene” and “offensive my dignity as a woman.” She added: “Unfortunately, I'm not alone. We have to report these people who act in the gang and are not punished, despite many complaints. These locations have to be closed and banned. Enough!”
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“Like many other women, I am a victim of online abuse posted on porn forums through unauthorized posts. I decided to fight back by filing a complaint. Not only to myself, but most importantly, all other women who are victims of this violence.”
Politicians with targeted rights include Alessandra Mussolini, the granddaughter of fascist dictator Benito Mussolini, who is also a member of the far-right coalition, and Italy's tourism minister Daniela Santanchè.
Mary Galati, a woman from Palermo who was the founder of a petition on Change.org, reportedly formally complained to the site twice after learning that her photo had been published in 2023, but the issue remained under the radar until the politician spoke.
The petition cites a 2019 study conducted by the University of Milan that found that 20% of Italian women experienced some form of involuntary sharing of intimate photos.
In July, the Italian Senate approved a bill that for the first time defines women in the criminal law, punishing lives with criminal law, while adding crimes including stalking, sexual violence and “revenge porn.”
In response to the Phica scandal, Senate President Ignazio La Russa condemned “online sexism involving many women.” “This is a very serious matter and has caused deep anger and I hope the authorities can identify those responsible as soon as possible,” he said.