A sexist online forum, Phica.eu, has extended its targets beyond actresses, influencers, and everyday women to include female politicians. The site is accused of stealing photos from social media and publishing them alongside often obscene commentary. Among the latest victims are PD Party MEP Alessandra Moretti, PD group leader in the Latina city council and deputy secretary of the Lazio PD Valeria Campagna, and former Democratic Party undersecretary at the Ministry of Economic Development and regional election candidate Alessia Morani.
MEP Alessandra Moretti has filed a formal complaint after discovering the site had “for years stolen photos and clips from TV programs I participated in, then modified them and fed them to thousands of users.” She stated this was followed by “a long list of obscene comments that injure not only my emotional sphere but also the safety of the many women exposed to this disgusting new method of non-consensual photo posting.” On social media, she urged all victims to react, writing, “What matters most to me is that everyone reacts and reports these groups of small men who continue to act with impunity despite the many complaints. These kinds of sites that incite rape and violence must be shut down and banned.”
Valeria Campagna also reported the issue shortly thereafter, stating on Facebook: “I discovered that some of my photos were published without my consent. Not just pictures in swimwear, but moments from my public and private life. Below them were sexist, vulgar, violent comments. Some even talk about me in real life. Today I am disgusted, angry, disappointed. But I cannot stay silent.” Alessia Morani expressed similar indignation, announcing she would file a complaint against the ‘Phica’ forum for taking images from her social networks without consent, calling the comments “frankly unacceptable and obscene,” and a violation of her dignity as a woman.
The website Phica.eu has been active since 2005 and hosts photos of women of all types in various situations—from sitting in cafes and leaving school to waiting at bus stops, by the pool in swimwear, or visiting cities of art—all accompanied by appalling comments. The most shared images are from beach settings, often featuring girls sunbathing topless or in other private situations. This case follows the recent scandal of the “Mia Moglie” (My Wife) Facebook group, where over 30,000 men shared intimate photos of their often-unaware spouses, indicating a growing underground web of non-consensual pornography.