Several Milan tram drivers have been temporarily suspended following a scandal involving the sharing of images of female passengers in a work chat. The Italian prosecutor's office has already launched an investigation.
According to local media, employees of the transport company ATM are suspected of exchanging footage obtained from surveillance cameras installed in trams via WhatsApp.
The images prominently featured the faces of women, as well as individual body parts. Reports indicate that the posts were often accompanied by sexist comments, reports NOS.
The investigation believes that at least one driver may have illegally accessed the recordings from the surveillance cameras. Additionally, law enforcement has authorized searches of five other employees of the transport company. Their mobile phones and other electronic devices are expected to be seized.
The scandal came to light after an incident that occurred last weekend. One of the passengers noticed a group chat on the phone screen of a transport company employee who was in the tram during a break, containing photos of women and offensive comments.
The woman took a photo of the phone screen and sent it to the well-known Italian writer and feminist Carlotta Vagnoli. She later posted the image on social media and informed the management of the transport company about the incident.
Following this, ATM initiated an internal investigation and immediately suspended employees who may have been involved in the dissemination of the materials.
It remains unclear whether the published footage was obtained only from one tram or if recordings from other routes were also used illegally. Investigators also intend to identify all participants in the chat and determine how long it existed.
Police are expected to conduct additional interviews with company employees and examine the contents of the seized devices in the near future.
The investigation is just beginning, but the incident has already sparked widespread public outcry in Italy. If the suspicions are confirmed, the participants in the correspondence could face charges of violating privacy rights and illegal use of surveillance materials.
