Husbands Share Hundreds of Thousands of Wives' Nude Photos on Social Media, Sparking Outrage in Italy

The Group Had Nearly 32,000 Members
Some Men Sold Photos of Their Wives for Money

A Facebook group of Italian men who took and shared photos of women's nudity or sexual acts without consent was eventually shut down amid widespread public criticism. On August 21 (local time), daily newspapers Corriere della Sera and La Repubblica reported that a Facebook group in Italy had caused a public outcry by sharing hundreds of thousands of nude photos of women. The group, named "Mia Moglie" ("My Wife"), had attracted around 32,000 members since its creation in 2019. Most of the members were men, and they had been sharing hundreds of thousands of photos of women.

A Facebook group of Italian men who took and shared photos of women’s nudity or sexual acts without consent was eventually shut down amid widespread public criticism. Photo by Asia Economy DB

Many of the photos were taken during sexual acts, and most were posted without the women's consent. In a significant number of cases, husbands posted photos of their own wives. Among the women whose photos were shared, there were reportedly celebrities, lawyers, police officers, and journalists. Within about two days of the group becoming widely known to the public, Meta, which operates Facebook, and Italian authorities received more than 3,000 related reports.

The communications police, responsible for investigating digital crimes, launched an investigation, and on August 20, Meta permanently shut down the group. Meta Italy explained that the group was deleted for violating policies against adult sexual exploitation. They also emphasized, "Our platform does not allow content that promotes sexual violence, sexual abuse, or sexual exploitation."

Authorities found that some posts in the group included photos of wives that husbands had sold for money. Some individuals even included descriptions of their wives' age, weight, and body measurements along with the photos. A police official involved in the investigation stated, "I have never seen such disturbing posts on social media," and added, "The group distributed personal photos and other materials without consent and even committed defamation through comments."

Although the controversial Facebook group has now disappeared, police have determined that, just before it was shut down, invitations were sent to members to join a new group created on Telegram. The police plan to continue their investigation by listening to victims' testimonies and tracking down the perpetrators.