How to understand if your photos have finished sexist forums like Phica and porn sites without your consent (and how to defend you)

The discovery of platforms such as Phica.eu – officially closed by the managers, but in reality still reached by search engines – or Facebook groups as “my wife” has brought a serious problem to the center of attention and which is spoken too little: the non -consensual sexualization of female images. In fact, more and more women are discovering that their shots, even public and harmless ones, are used to feed anonymous threads full of insults and vulgar comments. In some cases these are private photos stolen, in others of images recovered by social and reused without any permission.

How to find out if your photos have been used with search engines

But how can you understand if your photos have been used or disseminated in these sites? One of the most immediate tools is the classic search engine. Type your name and surname next to the suspicious site name can reveal themed discussions. To make investigations more targeted, it is useful to resort to Boolean operators, or combinations of symbols and words that refine online research.

Facial recognition and search via pixel

If it is not certain that the name has been used, technology can help. Tools like Pimeyes dismisses the web in search of faces similar to the loaded one, returning the sites where the photo appears. Google Images also offers a similar function: just upload a photo and the system will look for correspondences based on pixels.

Monitoring with Google Alert and Watermark

Another ally is Google Alert, which allows you to receive notifications via email every time a name appears online. It is an easy way to keep an eye on any suspicious uses. In addition, some services allow you to insert an invisible watermark in their photos: a sort of signal that helps to trace its spread on the web.

Who to contact in case of abuse

If the research confirms suspicions, the next step is to contact those who can help. The Postal Police collects reports directly online, while associations such as permitted or Telefono Rosa provide legal and psychological assistance. It is important not to interact with the authors, but to collect tests with screenshots, links and dates, to be attached to the complaint.

What risks for those who spread or comment

Finally, a hint to those who ignably feed the spread of images, even if only by putting their comment. Well, know that Italian law is not indulgent. Publishing or commenting on offensive content can configure defamation, which requires the victim’s direct complaint. In more serious cases, the comments may fall into the criminal instigation or in the vilification if they concern institutional figures.

Don’t you want to lose our news?

You may also be interested in: