Spanish government investigates child exploitation content on TikTok

A 35-day investigation by the Spanish foundation Maldita.es, conducted between September 11 and October 15, has uncovered systemic issues regarding child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on TikTok. The report, titled 'TikTok, the pedophile's sanctuary,' identified over 20,000 potentially suspicious profiles, including more than 7,000 using the Spanish language. Researchers also found over 1,000 videos containing illegal content that had collectively accumulated approximately 48 million views.

Following these revelations, the Spanish Ministry of Youth and Children, led by Sira Rego, referred the findings to the State Attorney General's Office. Officials have demanded an investigation and warned that a temporary suspension of TikTok in Spain remains a possibility if the platform fails to demonstrate effective protective measures for minors.

On November 10, a dispute emerged between the parties when TikTok demanded all raw data from Maldita.es to facilitate content removal. The foundation refused, stating they have already utilized the platform's official reporting tools and will not share sensitive illegal files directly via email. The investigation remains ongoing as authorities evaluate the platform's compliance with safety regulations.