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

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1. 45m ago

   Spain Demands TikTok Suspension Over Child Sexual Abuse Probe

   Spanish authorities are demanding that TikTok suspend operations until all child sexual abuse material is completely removed from the platform. The demand follows a detailed investigation uncovering more than 20,000 suspected paedophile profiles and detecting over a thousand child sexual abuse videos on the application. Political leaders and watchdogs have intensified criticism against the short-video sharing platform, pointing to major failures in protecting minors and curbing illicit networks. Investigators revealed that predators have even targeted minors livestreaming from classrooms, while distinct groups and interconnected accounts coordinate to share abusive material.

   Why it matters

   The escalation by Spanish authorities places severe regulatory pressure on major social media platforms regarding child safety enforcement. Political figures have asserted that digital offenses must carry the same weight as crimes committed on the street. Investigations by independent outlets like Maldita.es initially brought the illicit networks and shared codes to light, triggering broader government intervention.

   What is confirmed

   • A Spanish investigation identified over 20,000 suspected paedophile profiles on TikTok.
   • Spain has demanded that TikTok suspend its operations until child sexual abuse material is gone.
   • More than a thousand child sexual abuse videos were detected on TikTok.

   Still unconfirmed

   • Predators are joining TikTok Live streams of minors broadcasting from classrooms to harass them.

   What to watch next

   • Decisions by TikTok executives or regulatory bodies regarding the requested operational suspension in Spain.
   • Further enforcement actions or official bans considered by the Spanish government over child protection failures.
   Sources used for this update (11)

   1. www.euronews.com — French debt | Euronews
   2. Euronews — Spain: investigation finds 20,000 suspected paedophile TikTok profiles
   3. Reuters — Spain demands that TikTok suspend operations until child sexual abuse material gone
   4. Al Jazeera — Spain pushes to suspend TikTok after probe into child sex abuse videos
   5. maldita.es — TikTok Live enters the classroom: minors livestream from school while predators join to harass them
   6. El Constitucional — Feijóo demands action against TikTok after more than a thousand child sexual abuse videos were detected: "What is a crime on the street will also be a crime in the digital world"
   7. maldita.es — The ‘Pizza Universe’ : hundreds of accounts, a shared code and how easy is to find them
   8. NBC News — Spain demands TikTok suspension until child abuse material is removed
   9. Demócrata — This is how the child pornography network discovered on TikTok by Maldita.es works
   10. maldita.es — ‘Team 94’: 2,000 followers of a man who rapes babies use TikTok to share his videos and exchange their own material
   11. en.dailyinqilab.com — Spain Considers TikTok Ban Over Failure to Protect Children - The Daily Inqilab
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