Silvia Semenzin is an Italian author, scholar and activist, whose work focuses on gender-related violence, digital rights, and emerging technologies, especially blockchain. She is best known for her research and advocacy on image-based sexual abuse (revenge porn), which prompted the Italian law on the topic.[1][2][3]

Education and career

Semenzin studied a BA in Political Science at the University of Padua, with an Erasmus exchange at the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM).[4] She studied an MA in Social Communication at the same UCM, and later a joint PhD in Digital Sociology by both the University of Milan and the University of Turin.[5] Her PhD explored the blockchain imaginaries, examining power dynamics and algorithmic discrimination in digitally-mediated contexts.[6][7]

During her PhD, she worked for the University of Trento researching cybercrime.[8] She also collaborated with the ERC grant team of Stefania Milan at the University of Amsterdam,[9] with data-tracking of Pornhub.[10] In this period she researched image-based sexual abuse in Telegram groups,[11] which drew international attention.[12][13]

After her PhD, she worked as a postdoctoral researcher at the UCM, in the ERC grant team of Samer Hassan,[6] and as a lecturer at the University of Amsterdam.[14] She later obtained a Juan de la Cierva post-doc scholarship to continue her work at UCM.[15] In this period, she has continued her research on the social aspects of blockchain technologies, while trying to raise awareness on its dangers.[16][17]

Activism and social engagement

While doing research on image-based sexual abuse, she engaged in advocacy on the topic. In November 2018, she was promoter and spokesperson, with the aid of Amnesty International[2] and other organizations, of the Italian national campaign “Intimità Violata” to ask for a law against image-based sexual abuse (revenge porn).[18] An online petition gathered 80,000 signatories in two weeks,[19] and gathered ample media attention.[19][20][21][22] The campaign attracted the support of politicians like former President of the Parliament Laura Boldrini,[23] especially after the dismissal of the Tiziana Cantone suicide case.[24] A few months later, in April 2019 the Italian Parliament passed a law criminalizing image-based sexual abuse,[3] rendering the campaign a success.

Since then, she has become an advocate on online gender-related violence matters,[25] regularly speaking on international media like RTVE,[26] Vanity Fair,[2] Wired,[27] GQ,[28] ANSA,[29] RAC 1,[30] and others.[31][32][33] She has spoken on the topic in multiple international forums, including two TED Talks,[34][35] Amnesty International,[36] Save the Children,[37] the EU,[38] or the global summit on the topic.[39] She also played a key role in implementing a law against online sexual violence in Ecuador.[40][41] She wrote a book on the topic,[42][43] and in line with her appeals for better education on these issues,[44][45] she co-founded an NGO on sex education.[46]

Concerning her advocacy of digital rights, she sits on the board of the Dutch Cyber Rights Organization,[47] which has advocated for non-discrimination clauses in the EU Artificial Intelligence Act.[48] Besides, she has worked as a journalist for several digital newspapers, in Italy,[49] Spain,[50][51] and an US online debate platform.[52]

Selected works

Books

  • Bainotti, Lucia; Semenzin, Silvia (2021). Donne tutte puttane: revenge porn e maschilità egemone. La città e la metropoli. Andria: Durango edizioni. ISBN 978-88-99476-49-6.

Articles

See also

References

  1. ^ "La ragazza che ha lottato per la legge: "Scacco matto a chi ci vuole sottomesse"". www.ilgazzettino.it (in Italian). 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  2. ^ a b c "Revenge porn, Silvia Semenzin: "Quando ho visto le foto delle mie amiche"". Vanity Fair Italia (in Italian). 2019-04-03. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  3. ^ a b "Revenge porn is now a crime in Italy". The Independent. 2019-04-04. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  4. ^ University of Padua (April 4, 2012). "Ranking list of Erasmus Program Mobility Grants 2012/2013, 1st turn - Political Science" (PDF).
  5. ^ "CRO Cyber Rights Organization, la prima organizzazione europea che difende i diritti umani nel web fondata da due under 35". Skuola.net - Portale per Studenti: Materiali, Appunti e Notizie (in Italian). 2023-02-16. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  6. ^ a b "Publications - Silvia Semenzin Profile". P2P Models. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  7. ^ "NASP: Network for the Advancement of Social and Political studies - Silvia Semenzin". nasp.eu. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  8. ^ "La cyber-criminalità contro il commercio in Italia" [Cyber crime against trade in Italy] (PDF). Università degli Studi di Trento. 2017. ISBN 978-88-94891-01-0.
  9. ^ "team – DATACTIVE". Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  10. ^ "Experience Summary & Farewells". pornhub.tracking.exposed. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  11. ^ Semenzin, Silvia; Bainotti, Lucia (Oct 2020). "The Use of Telegram for Non-Consensual Dissemination of Intimate Images: Gendered Affordances and the Construction of Masculinities". Social Media + Society. 6 (4): 205630512098445. doi:10.1177/2056305120984453. hdl:2434/828495. ISSN 2056-3051.
  12. ^ ""Uscite le minorenni"". Wired Italia (in Italian). 2019-01-23. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  13. ^ Kraus, Rachel (2020-10-29). "Telegram's massive revenge porn problem has made these women's lives hell". Mashable. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  14. ^ "Silvia Semenzin". Festival Internazionale del Giornalismo. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  15. ^ State Research Agency (2021). "Resolución de la presidencia de la agencia estatal de investigación, por la que se resuelve el procedimiento de concesión de las ayudas juan de la cierva-formación, convocatoria 2021" [Resolution of the Presidency of the Spanish National Research Agency, resolving the procedure for granting Juan de la Cierva Training Aid, Call 2021] (PDF). Spanish National Research Agency (Agencia Estatal de Investigación).
  16. ^ "De la moneda social y el blockchain: ¿podrían ayudarnos a acabar con la corrupción y la especulación?". www.lasexta.com (in Spanish). 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  17. ^ "Evolución de las criptomonedas: cuánto habríamos ganado invirtiendo 50 euros en 2011 y cuánto en 2021". www.lasexta.com (in Spanish). 2022-01-21. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  18. ^ "Intimità violata: dalla Marca la petizione per chiedere una legge contro il "revenge porn"". TrevisoToday (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  19. ^ a b "Revenge porn, Boldrini accoglie petizione su Change.org e annuncia proposta di legge bipartisan". la Repubblica (in Italian). 2018-12-10. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  20. ^ ""Basta diffondere immagini intime per vendetta": da Montebelluna la raccolta firme lanciata da Silvia". www.oggitreviso.it. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  21. ^ "Revenge porn in Sardegna, l'orrenda chat che umilia le ragazze denunciata da Insieme in Rete". Giornalettismo (in Italian). 2019-01-11. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  22. ^ ""Basta vendette sessuali e donne umiliate in chat": la sfida di una ragazza di Montebelluna". Tribuna di Treviso (in Italian). 2018-12-04. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  23. ^ "Petizione dei record per una legge sul revenge porn: "Spesso le vittime sono inconsapevoli" | VIDEO". Giornalettismo (in Italian). 2018-11-30. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  24. ^ "Il revenge porn è molto più diffuso di quanto pensiamo. E una legge non basta a combatterlo". THE VISION (in Italian). 2020-11-20. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  25. ^ ""Lotto contro la violenza sui social"". nuvola.corriere.it (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  26. ^ Gen Playz - Filtraciones sexuales en redes (in Spanish), 2022-09-13, retrieved 2024-03-27
  27. ^ "In Spagna un algoritmo valuta il rischio di violenza contro le donne. Ma ha fallito". Wired Italia (in Italian). 2022-04-05. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  28. ^ "Che cosa passa per la testa di un uomo che fa revenge porn". GQ Italia (in Italian). 2021-04-08. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  29. ^ "Digital Service Act, la sociologa: "Molto da fare contro la violenza online" - Italia - Ansa.it". Agenzia ANSA (in Italian). 2023-08-25. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  30. ^ "Els perills del 'deep fake': "Ser dona ja és una amenaça per a la teva intimitat"". RAC1 (in Catalan). Aug 12, 2023. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  31. ^ Semenzin, Silvia (2023-12-14). "Regulators are Failing to Combat Revenge Porn". CEPA. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  32. ^ von Hodenberg, Anna-Lena; Semenzin, Silvia; Mclaren, Shanley Clemot (Apr 14, 2022). "The human cost of the EU's fragmented approach to tackling image-based sexual abuse". Euractiv.
  33. ^ "Press". Silvia Semenzin. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  34. ^ Semenzin, Silvia (2021-09-17), Is digital activism possible?, retrieved 2024-03-27
  35. ^ Tecnologia vs. Umanità | Silvia Semenzin | TEDxLakeComo, retrieved 2024-03-27
  36. ^ "Io non odio, e tu?". Amnesty International Italia (in Italian). 2019-06-07. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  37. ^ "Il rapporto di Save the Children: il 65% degli adolescenti dichiara di essersi sentito controllato dal partner almeno una volta". La Stampa (in Italian). 2024-02-13. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  38. ^ "Towards a European Policy against Online Image-Based Sexual Abuse". CAIS (in German). Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  39. ^ ""I finally knew I was in the right place" – notes from the first-ever Global Summit on Image-Based Sexual Abuse". www.panoramaglobal.org. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  40. ^ "Conoce a Isabella Nuques, activista que impulsó la Ley de Violencia Digital en Ecuador". sprinforma.mx. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  41. ^ Durán González, Jhanela Anahí (2022). Análisis de la Ley de Violencia Digital en Ecuador: una mirada a las experiencias de la violencia machista en el ámbito digital (masterThesis thesis). Quito, EC: Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Sede Ecuador.
  42. ^ ""Il revenge porn è la trasposizione digitale della cultura dello stupro"". lespresso.it (in Italian). 2021-07-19. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  43. ^ Bainotti, Lucia; Semenzin, Silvia (2021). Donne tutte puttane: Revenge porn e maschilità egemone. La città e la metropoli. Andria: Durango edizioni. ISBN 978-88-99476-49-6.
  44. ^ "Abuse and anger: inside the online groups spreading stolen, sexual images". South China Morning Post. 2021-06-05. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  45. ^ "Il Revenge Porn non è né vendetta né pornografia: è violenza di genere contro le donne". Fanpage (in Italian). 2020-07-24. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  46. ^ "chi siamo". Virgin & Martyr (in Italian). Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  47. ^ "Cyber Rights Organization". Cyber Rights Organization. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  48. ^ "What is 'revenge porn' and are there laws to protect you? Here's what you need to know". edition.cnn.com. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  49. ^ "Silvia Semenzin | Il Caffè Geopolitico". ilcaffegeopolitico.net (in Italian). 2017-12-07. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  50. ^ "Elecciones italianas 2018: una análisis con la mente fría" (in Spanish). 2018-03-14. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  51. ^ "Silvia Semenzin – ROOSTERGNN" (in Spanish). 2015-06-19. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
  52. ^ "TEDxLakeComo | TED". www.ted.com. Retrieved 2024-03-27.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silvia_Semenzin
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