An Italian website that posted doctored images of well-known women, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with obscene commentary, has announced its closure after a backlash from other female politicians.
The site, Phica, a play on the Italian slang for vagina, now displays a message saying it has shut down with great regret due to the toxic behaviour of some users.
Meloni expressed her disgust towards the site, urging for the punishment of those responsible.
The removal of Phica follows public anger against another Facebook group called Mia Moglie (My Wife), where men swapped intimate images of their partners without knowledge.
Meta has since closed the group for violating its policies.
Phica, which had around 700,000 users, had previously been active for two decades. It featured a VIP section containing images of female politicians and other public figures, posted with explicit and suggestive captions.
MEP Alessandra Moretti has called for stronger laws against such platforms, emphasizing the need for protection for ordinary women who lack resources for recourse.
Phica indicated that its platform was intended for safe sharing but accepted that it became something to distance from, vowing to delete all content post-closure.
Italian Postal Police have begun an investigation, amidst a growing number of reports against similar websites. Prime Minister Meloni lamented the prevalence of online sexism in 2025 and encouraged women to report the unauthorized sharing of images.
