'Virtual Gang Rape': Italian Facebook Group Sharing Women's Intimate Images Sparks Outrage

Last Updated:August 22, 2025, 05:20 IST

Earlier this year, Meta faced criticism for relaxing some of its content moderation policies, a move aimed at appeasing the Trump administration.

The scandal also resurfaced public memory of the French case of Gisèle Pelicot

A Facebook group has triggered nationwide outrage in Italy after it was discovered sharing intimate images of women without their consent. The page, titled “Mia Moglie" (My Wife), had amassed more than 32,000 members, according to The Financial Times. The Meta-owned platform has since shut the group down following public outcry over its exploitative content.

According to reports, members of the group had been posting explicit photos of their partners, or impersonating women by sharing fabricated intimate images, without obtaining consent. The group had been active since 2019, but Meta told The Financial Times that it remained dormant until May 2025. In the last three months, however, it began hosting explicit content, directly violating Meta’s policies on adult sexual exploitation.

A Meta spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that the group was removed for “violating our Adult Sexual Exploitation policies."

Earlier this year, Meta faced criticism for relaxing some of its content moderation policies, a move aimed at appeasing the Trump administration. The decision was made despite repeated calls from civil rights organisations to increase oversight of harmful and exploitative online content.

The controversy surrounding the Mia Moglie group has sparked widespread anger across Italy, raising serious concerns about digital gender-based violence and online privacy. It also comes amid growing criticism of how social media platforms handle abusive content, particularly that which targets women.

Beyond the digital realm, the incident has intensified focus on gender dynamics in Italian society. According to Vox, the scandal highlights the prevalence of misogyny online, particularly hate directed at women’s appearances. In response, opposition lawmakers have increased pressure on the right-wing government led by Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to take stronger action.

The Five Star Movement condemned the incident and called on the government to fight “an unacceptable patriarchal mentality that reduces women to objects and instruments of possession."

Similarly, Roberta Mori from the Democratic Party called the Facebook group “another example of structural digital violence rooted in the same patriarchal culture of domination."

The scandal also resurfaced public memory of the French case of Gisèle Pelicot, who was raped for years by her husband and his male friends, illustrating disturbing parallels in digital and physical abuse.

Feminist influencer Carolina Capria helped bring attention to the issue by publicly denouncing the group in a viral Instagram post on Tuesday. Capria told The Financial Times that such actions amounted to “virtual gang rape." Her post prompted thousands of users to report the group to authorities.

Italy’s Postal Police, the national cybercrime unit, received around 2,800 complaints, some from alleged victims themselves. Authorities are now investigating potential criminal offences, including revenge porn, privacy violations, aggravated defamation, and child pornography. If convicted, perpetrators could face up to six years in prison.

The Italian law allows individuals affected by revenge porn a period of six months to file formal charges.

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Italy

First Published:

August 22, 2025, 05:20 IST

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