The final straw was the involvement of two politicians from the Democratic Party (PD), Alessandra Moretti and Valeria Campagna. This triggered an avalanche of backlash, culminating in dozens of formal complaints to the postal police and nationwide social media outrage. This sequence of events has ended the over-twenty-year history of the website Phica.eu, which chose to shut itself down just hours after the scandal erupted.
The site, in what could be seen as a move for moral self-absolution, defended itself by stating it had always been against violence and that a few had betrayed its original spirit. This incident is the latest in a summer where Italy discovered the prevalence of misogynistic online forums. Hundreds of women, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and opposition leader Elly Schlein, were horrified to find their social media photos republished and crudely commented on. The PD women proposed a collective legal action open to all political affiliations, highlighting that the practice of posting and commenting on photos transcended politics and gender.
Even Roberto Vannacci, the undersecretary of the League party, found himself featured on the site and announced plans for legal action. The Postal Police are currently overwhelmed with reports from across Italy from women who discovered their photos on Phica and a related Facebook group, ‘Mia Moglie’ (My Wife). The victims include public figures like actresses, influencers, politicians, and journalists, as well as private citizens pictured in everyday situations or at the beach.
Legal experts caution that obtaining convictions will be challenging. Lawyer Jessica Valentini explained that site managers could face charges for “dissemination of images with sexual content,” which carries severe penalties including imprisonment and fines. The legal complexity arises when the images themselves are not explicit; the sexual context is created by their placement on the site. Furthermore, proving identity in partially shown images adds another layer of difficulty, potentially allowing perpetrators to escape punishment.
Faced with an impending wave of legal measures, Phica.eu decided to delete its archives and close. It left a notice with a web address for content removal requests and a defensive statement. The site claimed it was born as a platform for discussion and personal sharing in a safe environment, blaming a minority for misusing it. The communique insisted it had always banned and reported content featuring violence, child pornography, or insults against women and had often collaborated with law enforcement.
In essence, the site’s final message was that Phica was a community with “lights and shadows,” but one that intended to create a different kind of space.