Spanish investigation finds over 20,000 suspected paedophile profiles on TikTok

Key Points:

• An investigation by Maldita.es found over 20,000 potential paedophile profiles on TikTok, including more than 7,000 in Spanish, and identified over 1,000 child sexual abuse videos with around 48 million views during a 35-day tracking period.
• The Ministry of Youth and Childhood has requested the Prosecutor's Office to investigate the findings and has asked TikTok representatives for an urgent meeting, leaving open the possibility of suspending TikTok's services in Spain if minors are not adequately protected.
• Maldita.es reported explicit videos and accounts to TikTok, but only a small percentage were removed or restricted, with many accounts remaining active days after the reports; the foundation also filed a complaint alleging TikTok may not be complying with the European Digital Services Act.
• TikTok has requested full access to Maldita.es's investigation data, citing the need for complete information to better identify and remove abusive content and to cooperate effectively with law enforcement agencies, emphasizing the importance of coordinated action to address the issue.
• The Ministry's potential suspension of TikTok would require legal justification, proportionality assessment, and likely judicial involvement, highlighting the seriousness of the platform's child protection challenges in Spain.