Sexist Italian Image Sharing Website forced to close after political protest

Italian website, which publishes doctoral images of famous women, including Prime Minister Georgia Meloni, with obscene commentary, announced its closure after a return reaction by other politicians.

The explicit site called FicaA game of the Italian jargon for the vagina now shows a message stating that it has closed “with great regret” due to the “toxic behavior” of some users.

Meloni herself said that she was “disgusting” from the site and called on those responsible to be punished “with the biggest hardness.”

Fika removal comes days after celebrity numbers lead a wave of public anger against an Italian group on Facebook called My wife (My wife), where thousands of men have exchanged intimate images of their partners obviously without their knowledge.

These photos were posted with explicit or even violent comments, with consumers saying that they include former politicians, businessmen and police officers.

Since then, Meta has closed the group to “violate our adult sexual exploitation policies.”

Fika was far more surgery, which is said to have about 700,000 users and has been active for two decades, despite previous complaints.

His so -called VIP section contained pictures of female Italian politicians and other prominent figures, from actresses to influential, taken either from public appearances, or from personal accounts raised on social media.

Images, including beach photos in swimwear, were changed digitally before being published in albums with titles such as “hot politicians” with other impressive and sexist inscriptions that encourage vulgar comments below.

Alessandra Moretti, a MEP who spoke against the site, says that this includes an incitement to rape.

The images were changed and then pushed to the users, she told the BBC.

“This was followed by a flood of obscene comments that not only harmed my emotional well -being, but also threatened the safety of many women,” said MEP of the opposition Democratic Party.

She believed that prominent political figures like her were obliged to take a position and talk about other women who were directed.

“Platforms that encourage rape and violence must be closed and forbidden,” she added. “Violence gives rise to violence and it’s time to end it.”

Phica’s statement, which announces its closure, accuses users who said he distorted the “spirit and original goal” of the platform, claiming that it was intended for those who want to “share their content in a safe environment.”

But he accepted that the platform had become something that people “want to distance themselves, not to be proud” and promised that all the content would now be deleted.

The statement was illustrated with Emoji, similar to tears and ended with the words “Look soon.”

Postal police in Italy, which is involved in cyberpreonility, confirmed to the BBC that an investigation has begun.

Fika said she had always blocked and reported all kinds of violence and images of minors.

But a petition for its closure of Change.org, which collected nearly 170,000 signatures, said it had included photos of people taken secretly in changing rooms and beauty salons, “or shot by hidden microchars in public baths.”

Previous complaints about My wife The group had also been left unattended.

This changed last week when writer Carolina Kieper denied the group in a post that became viral. Then the women who know each other in the images began to speak.

Police say they have been flooded with these and other platforms ever since.

“It is desperate to note that in 2025 there are still those who consider it normal and legitimate to trample on a woman’s dignity and direct her to sexist and vulgar insults, hiding behind anonymity or keyboard,” Italy’s Prime Minister told Corriere Della.

She also urged women to report any images that are shared without their consent.