ROME — Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has voiced her outrage over an adult website that posted unauthorized and often doctored images of women, including herself, sparking a national debate about online misogyny and abuse. The website, phica.eu, which had been active since 2005 with over 200,000 members, was shut down this week following widespread condemnation.
“I am disgusted by what has happened, and I want to express my solidarity and closeness to all the women who have been offended, insulted, and violated in their intimacy,” Meloni told the daily Corriere della Sera. The website featured manipulated images of public figures and ordinary women, often with violent and obscene commentary. This incident comes on the heels of another similar scandal involving the “Mia Moglie” (‘My Wife’) Facebook group, which was also taken down for sharing intimate photos of women without their consent.
A Broader Problem of Online Misogyny
The closure of phica.eu and the “Mia Moglie” group has been hailed by some as Italy’s #MeToo moment in the digital realm. . The incidents have highlighted a deep-seated issue of misogyny and gender-based violence in the country’s online spaces.
Opposition leader Elly Schlein, influencer Chiara Ferragni, and EU lawmaker Alessandra Moretti were also among the women targeted by the website. Moretti, who filed a criminal complaint, said such sites “incite rape and violence.”
In response to the growing public outcry, Italy’s Equality Minister, Eugenia Roccella, announced that the government is working on new legislation to strengthen online protections and implement cultural reforms to combat sexism. The incidents have shown that while laws are being drafted, the issue of online misogyny remains a significant challenge, with a deeply rooted patriarchal culture enabling such behavior.
