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]
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