Sextortion and revenge porn are two sides of the same coin. Crimes that are often confused, but which describe different forms of digital violence, with different dynamics, contexts and victims.
Sextortion consists of extortion based on the threat of dissemination of sexually explicit images or videos, obtained through deception, manipulation or simulation of online relationships, with the aim of obtaining money, sexual services or other advantages. Revenge porn, on the other hand, concerns the non-consensual dissemination of intimate content intended to remain private, in most cases as retaliation within concluded or conflictual romantic or sexual relationships.
The data from the 2025 Report of the Postal Police show a clear difference in the profile of the victims, which reflects the different nature of the two phenomena. Sextortion predominantly affects men: in 2025, 89% of victims will be male, with a high incidence among adolescents and young adults. A disproportion linked to the typical methods of the crime, which often arises from rapid and serial online solicitation. Revenge porn, on the contrary, has an impact above all on women, who represent around three-quarters of victims, because it is more frequently part of relational dynamics marked by power asymmetries and strong social stigma.
The numbers of sextortion and revenge porn in Italy
In 2025, the Postal Police dealt with 1,225 cases of sextortion throughout the national territory, with 1,092 men and 133 women involved. In the previous two years the phenomenon had already reached high levels: 1,507 cases in 2024 and 1,460 in 2023, with a stable male prevalence and a significant number of people investigated (130 in 2024, 165 in 2023). Sextortion thus emerges as one of the most pervasive and organized digital threats.
The absolute numbers of revenge porn are smaller, but the effects are no less serious. In 2025, there were 255 cases treated, with 188 female victims and 67 male victims. After the peak of 2023 (281 cases), 2024 shows a slight decline (-6%), but gender disproportion remains high: in 2024, there were 192 women out of 264 cases. The number of people investigated is also decreasing, but the phenomenon remains structural and persistent.
The perception of revenge porn and the role of the Privacy Guarantor
In terms of public perception, revenge porn is considered one of the main risks associated with digital life. According to the Report to Parliament of the Guarantor for the protection of personal data (July 2025, 2024 data), reports of revenge porn have reached 823 cases, with 625 emergency interventions almost always adopted to preventively block the spread of content on the platforms. Around 9 out of 10 Italians say they are worried about the circulation of unwanted sexual content, with high levels of alarm among both young adults and the elderly.
A key element is that the Guarantor also includes sextortion within the broader category of revenge porn, when the threat or diffusion concerns intimate content and the sphere of the so-called digital intimacy. This overlap contributes to making the information framework fragmented, but returns a clear reality: exposure is widespread, reporting remains limited (around 11% do nothing) and institutions are called upon to strengthen tools and awareness, going beyond the traditional categories of cyberbullying.
How to defend yourself from sextortion and revenge porn – resources and where to look for help
Prevention and response to sextortion and revenge porn move on two levels: technical protection and legal/psychological support.
On the technical and first aid side, there are some basic rules that reduce the risk of being involved in extortion or non-consensual distribution of intimate material. Avoiding sending private images or videos to people you don’t know well, checking the privacy settings of your social profiles, using strong passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA) to protect your accounts are simple but effective actions. If a conversation or request becomes suspicious, immediately cutting off contact and not sending anything is critical.
If you have already been threatened or victimized, do not delete messages or evidence: screenshots and communications with the extortionist can become useful evidence for law enforcement. For sextortion, the Italian Postal Police invites you to immediately report it on the official portal (www.commissariatodips.it) or to a dedicated certified mailbox, because it is difficult to manage the problem alone without support.
There are specific online tools to try to remove content that has already been spread: StopNCII.org, born from the collaboration of international NGOs, allows victims to create a case and generate a digital “hash” of the images/videos, shared with participating platforms to help with removal from the web. This tool is free and aims to block non-consensual circulation.
PermettoNegato also operates in Italy, an association that provides free support to victims of revenge porn and non-consensual dissemination of intimate materials: assistance in reporting to the platforms, feedback preliminary legal proceedings, collection of digital evidence and psychological first aid.
