Spain considers TikTok suspension over child sexual abuse material

Spain is considering suspending TikTok following an independent investigation that discovered child sexual abuse videos on the platform. Al Jazeera reported that the Ministry of Youth and Children has called for an urgent meeting with TikTok leadership in Spain. Other outlets, including AzerNews, Sur in English, and Anadolu Ajansı, also reported that Spanish authorities are weighing a nationwide suspension of the service. [1][2][4][7]

According to Al Jazeera, the non-profit organisation Maldita.es detected more than 20,000 profiles of suspected paedophiles during a 35-day monitoring period in September and October. The group found more than 1,000 child sexual abuse videos that had accumulated a total of 48 million views. Al Jazeera noted that 7,000 of the flagged profiles were based in Spanish. [1]

Maldita.es accused TikTok of using its algorithm to amplify content involving minors and profiting from their abuse, Al Jazeera reported. Plataforma Media separately reported that the foundation denounced TikTok as a home of the pedophile. As FTMQ News reported earlier, Spanish government officials subsequently demanded urgent explanations from TikTok executives. [1][6][12]

While TikTok remains accessible in most countries, several nations including India, Iran, and Afghanistan have imposed full nationwide bans. Reasons for previous bans in other jurisdictions have cited children's well-being, national security risks, and offensive content such as pornography. [9]