A revenge porn case is shocking Italy, with Facebook taking down an Italian group called Mia Moglie (My Wife) “for violating our adult sexual exploitation policies,” as men were posting photos from women’s intimate moments in the group. The group had approximately 32,000 members before Meta removed it.
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Screenshots taken before the Facebook group’s removal appeared to show photos of naked women, some taken while they were sleeping, and others from their private moments. Below the photos, male social media users made sexually explicit comments. Some said they wanted to “rape” the woman, while others praised the secret nature of some of the photographs.
Italy revenge porn case: Over 1,000 citizens reported the group
The group was exposed by author Carolina Capria, who said she felt disgusted and frightened by what she saw. “This connection between violence and sexuality is so deeply rooted in our culture that in a public group, men write without hiding their names and faces,” she noted.
Fiorella Zapata from the European Green Party stated on social media that it “wasn’t just harmless fun,” but “virtual rape.” “These platforms must be fought, this toxic idea of masculinity must be fought and we all must take action: civil society and politics too,” she emphasized.
As the BBC notes, revenge porn has been illegal in Italy since 2019. According to Italian media, more than 1,000 citizens have reported the group to police.
The case has sparked outrage in Italy and many are comparing it to the Pelico case that shocked France last year.
