Sending a dick pic is punishable with jail

We all have a story. With AirDrop, on Instagram, on Telegram, on Facebook, or on WhatsApp, unexpectedly or from someone we were having an informal conversation with, without warning, open by mistake despite suspicions, closed and never forgotten, engraved in our minds. Most of us, in our online experience, have received some unwanted dick pics, and we didn't know how to feel or what to do. The truth is that it's a downright violation of our space and boundaries and often happens without explicit consent. In England, something is changing.

Cyberflashing, Revenge Porn, and AI Porn

With the advent of AI porn, public discussions about the circulation of intimate material on the Internet have come to the forefront in various ways. Let's try to clarify. Revenge porn refers to when intimate material of a person - perhaps sent for personal use and with the belief that it should remain within a very restricted circle - is disclosed without the subject's permission, often ruining their life and reputation. Just as it happened a few days ago in the sports society of Roma, with the aggravating factor that the intimate material was taken from one employee by another through deceit. The victim was fired for environmental incompatibility. Cyberflashing, on the other hand, is when an intimate photo is sent without warning and without consent. It's the virtual version of going to a crowded park to undress. Finally, AI porn is based on new generative technologies, which can potentially create infinite pornographic photos and videos from normal or famous people's photos, without their knowledge. And it's increasingly difficult to tell whether a photo or video is real or generated by artificial intelligence.

Cyberflashing, the English Case

In England, a case could set a precedent for the (global) demand for stricter laws on online harassment. A few days ago, indeed, a 39-year-old man was sentenced to 66 weeks in prison for sending an intimate photo without consent to two women on February 9 via WhatsApp: a 15-year-old girl (therefore a minor) and an adult woman, who was the first to report it to Essex police. Just in time. Cyberflashing laws came into force throughout the UK on January 31, 2024, as part of the Online Safety Act, which punishes anyone who sends via social media, dating apps, AirDrop, or Bluetooth "photographs or videos of genitalia to cause alarm, distress, or humiliation." Hooray! And in Italy?

Dick Pics and Prison, What Does Italy Say?

The problem, of course, is social. Men, in fact, send this type of material, spread others', and create it through generative algorithms to impose their power on us, to control and humiliate us, to show that violence has no physical boundaries, but can happen anywhere and to anyone, even online. While Italian legislation has defined the boundaries of revenge porn, making it punishable, it's still extremely lacking regarding the rest. In Europe, overseas, and worldwide, however, more and more victims are demanding specific legislations with proportionate punishments, and generally the acknowledgment of the seriousness of these violence also from an institutional point of view. Hopefully, the UK will lead the way for a safer online future.