The recent removal of an Italian Facebook group known as "Mia Moglie," which translates to "My Wife," has triggered widespread backlash across Italy. The group, comprising around 32,000 members, was used to share intimate and often non-consensual images of women to thousands online. Meta, the parent company of Facebook, shuttered the page for violating its Adult Sexual Exploitation policies after its contents drew significant ire.
Before its removal, screenshots revealed disturbing posts featuring women captured in compromising situations, with accompanying sexually explicit and violent comments from male users. Italian author Carolina Capria, who publicly condemned the group, voiced feelings of nausea and fear regarding its existence. She emphasized the alarming normalization of violence associated with sexuality, highlighted by the fact that men expressed these sentiments openly without anonymity.
Fiorella Zabatta, a representative from the European Greens party, characterized the group's activities as “virtual rape” and stressed the need for collective action against such rampant toxicity within digital spaces. With revenge porn laws instituted in Italy since 2019, there is a growing concern that this incident highlights a reemergence of similar online harassment practices, prompting over a thousand reports to cyber-crime units already.
Meta reiterated its stance against any content that promotes sexual violence, asserting that they do not tolerate such acts on their platforms. The situation also echoes the notorious case of Dominique Pelicot, who was jailed for heinous crimes against his wife, further underlining a disturbing trend where control over women's bodies is seen as permissible.
As Italians grapple with the implications of this group, many emphasize the need for broader societal change to combat the deeply ingrained toxic masculinity and protect women's rights both online and offline.
