Prosecutorial investigation launched in Spain over child sexual abuse material on TikTok – 26,000 suspected paedophile profiles
Spanish prosecutors have ordered an investigation into the spread of child sexual abuse material on TikTok, following a complaint by Maldita.es.
Spain: Prosecutors launch investigation into TikTok over child sexual abuse material
Spanish prosecutors have ordered an investigation into the alleged spread of child sexual abuse material on TikTok, according to In.gr. The action was taken following a complaint by the organisation Maldita.es, which published on Monday findings revealing over 1,000 videos of child sexual abuse on the platform, with a combined total of 48 million views.
The prosecution announced in a press release the appointment of a judge to "investigate potential offences related to the production and distribution of content depicting sexual abuse and the exploitation of minors that may have been committed on the TikTok platform". TikTok did not respond to related questions from the French news agency.
Over 26,000 profiles of suspected paedophiles
Maldita.es, which had investigated the issue twice in the past, also identified more than 26,000 profiles of suspected paedophiles exchanging or selling child sexual abuse material on the platform, of which 7,700 operated in Spanish, according to ANA-MPA.
According to the organisation, TikTok removed only 10 per cent of the content flagged to it and blocked only 26 per cent of the illegal material in Spain. The search engine of the platform, which is owned by Chinese firm ByteDance, did not block keywords linked to such content — in contrast with other platforms.
On Monday, Spain's government asked TikTok to suspend operations in the country until it deleted all child sexual abuse material.
Live streams in 17 countries
Supplementary reporting by Maldita.es, published on Tuesday, revealed nearly 100 live streams in 17 countries in which viewers asked children to perform certain acts — some of a sexual nature — in exchange for payment. This occurs despite TikTok's rules prohibiting minors from broadcasting live.
The organisation noted that TikTok restricted two search terms it had identified as gateways to illegal content for users in Spain; however, equivalent searches from other European countries continue to lead to the same material.
Broader regulatory framework in the EU and Spain
The European Union has intensified its efforts to regulate social media through the Digital Services Act (DSA) and is planning to ban access for children under 13 years of age.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced in early February a series of measures against "manipulation and the promotion of illegal content" on social media, including banning access for persons under 16 years of age. The socialist leader regularly accuses X, Meta and TikTok of not taking sufficient action against the creation and distribution of fake sexual images of minors.
Source: In.gr