Rome [Italy], August 30 (ANI): Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned a porn site that allegedly circulated doctored images of her and other prominent women, accompanied by sexist and offensive captions, CNN reported.
The forum, known as Phica—a name derived from the Italian slang word “figa” for vagina—was shut down by its managers on Thursday following widespread backlash. At the time of its closure, the site had hundreds of thousands of subscribers. Administrators blamed users for violating its rules.
Subscribers of the forum reportedly harvested women’s images from social media and public sources, altered them, and reposted them with misogynistic descriptions. Alongside Meloni, the site also allegedly featured images of her sister Arianna, a politician with the Brothers of Italy party, as well as other Italian celebrities and politicians.
“I am disgusted by what happened, and I want to extend my solidarity and support to all the women who have been offended, insulted, and violated in their intimacy by the managers of this forum and its users,” Meloni told Italian media, as quoted by CNN.
She added, “It is disheartening to note that in 2025, there are still those who consider it normal and legitimate to trample on a woman’s dignity and target her with sexist and vulgar insults, hiding behind anonymity or a keyboard.”
In reference to Italy’s 2019 “revenge porn” law, Meloni noted that such actions are no longer limited to cases of revenge, stressing the growing importance of protecting personal data and privacy. The law makes the illegal dissemination of sexually explicit images punishable by up to six years in prison.
Her sister Arianna also criticized what she described as the “bad habit of a click-through society, where we intrude on private life, we offend, we peek through keyholes, we ruin lives, and we belittle the real, important things that women achieve and conquer with their work day after day,” as quoted by CNN. (ANI)
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