The non-consensual dissemination of intimate images on Telegram The Italian Case

This chapter focuses on the non-consensual dissemination of intimate images (NCDII) on Italian Telegram channels and groups. After describing the specificities of the Italian context, the chapter shows that NCDII is facilitated by the digital architecture of Telegram, which provides a sense of impunity and contributes to normalising this kind of violence. Such an architecture, coupled with the presence of persistent gender stereotypes and the tendency to victim blaming, allows practices of categorising and objectifying women's bodies to thrive. Attention is paid to how different practices of online misogyny – such as hate speech, cyberstalking and doxing – are intertwined with NCDII on Telegram, to provide an understanding of the heterogeneity and complexity of the phenomenon. Lastly, we discuss the new frontiers of image-based abuse, looking at how NCDII is linked to the spread of deepfake pornography, the use of bots to automatise violence, AI and algorithms. The chapter thus contributes to expanding existing knowledge about NDCII, as well as highlighting the challenges that we are likely to face in the near future if we are to contain the harm and discriminatory effects of this phenomenon.