Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has once again become a target of online abuse after a pornographic website uploaded altered images of her and several other prominent Italian women, sparking nationwide outrage and what local media is calling &ldquo;Italy&rsquo;s #MeToo&rdquo; movement.
The fake pictures, taken from social media and public appearances, were edited with offensive captions and posted on the Italian platform Phica, which boasts over 700,000 subscribers. Other victims include opposition leader Elly Schlein, influencer Chiara Ferragni, actor-director Paola Cortellesi, tourism minister Daniela Santanch&eacute;, and Alessandra Mussolini, granddaughter of Benito Mussolini.
Meloni&rsquo;s sister Arianna Meloni was also targeted. The Prime Minister has not commented publicly on the matter.
The outrage intensified after Democratic Party politician Valeria Campagna filed a formal complaint, revealing that private moments from her life had been misused. Her call to action was echoed by fellow party members Alessia Morani, Alessandra Moretti, and Lia Quartapelle. An online petition demanding the site&rsquo;s closure has gathered more than 150,000 signatures.
This scandal follows Meta&rsquo;s recent move to shut down a Facebook page where men shared intimate images of women without consent.
Italy has seen a rising debate over digital misogyny. In July, the Senate toughened laws on femicide, stalking, sexual assault, and revenge porn, imposing harsher penalties.
Meloni herself previously pursued damages of &euro;100,000 over deepfake videos in 2024, highlighting the persistence of such crimes.
The case has renewed calls for stronger online safeguards as Italy confronts the growing menace of deepfake pornography and non-consensual image abuse.
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Porn site uploads fake images of Meloni, Elly Schlein, Ferragni; outrage sparks

Meloni, Women Targeted in Italy Deepfake Scandal

Porn site uploads fake images of Meloni, Elly Schlein, Ferragni; outrage sparks

August 29, 2025 | 21:45 IST