Spain Considers Suspending TikTok After Investigation Finds Over 1,100 Child Sexual Abuse Videos

The Spanish government is considering suspending TikTok’s services in the country following an investigation that uncovered more than 1,100 videos containing child sexual abuse material on the social media platform.

The development has raised fresh concerns about online child protection and the ability of major technology companies to prevent illegal content from spreading on their platforms.

Spain’s Ministry of Youth and Childhood confirmed on Monday, November 9, that it had submitted a report to the country’s Public Prosecutor’s Office, requesting an investigation into the alleged circulation of child sexual abuse material on TikTok.

The move followed an investigation by Spanish fact-checking and investigative journalism organisation Maldita.es, which identified 1,183 public posts containing explicit material involving the sexual abuse of minors.

According to the investigation, the posts accumulated approximately 48 million views during a 35-day monitoring period between September 11 and October 15, 2026. Researchers also identified hundreds of accounts allegedly involved in sharing, promoting or facilitating access to the illegal material.

One of the most concerning findings involved TikTok’s response to reports of illegal content.

Maldita.es selected 50 videos from its investigation and reported them through the platform’s official reporting system. However, TikTok removed only five of the videos, while another 13 were blocked from being viewed in Spain. The findings have raised questions about the effectiveness of the platform’s content moderation and child protection systems.

Researchers also expressed concern that TikTok’s search and recommendation features could make it easier for users to discover accounts and content connected to child sexual exploitation.

Following the findings, Spain’s Minister for Youth and Childhood, Sira Rego, called for urgent action to protect children and teenagers who may be affected. The ministry has asked prosecutors to investigate the matter and determine what legal measures may be necessary. It has also raised the possibility of temporarily suspending TikTok’s services in Spain if authorities consider such action appropriate.

Rego has requested an urgent meeting with TikTok representatives in the country to demand explanations about the platform’s moderation systems and the steps it intends to take to prevent further circulation of the material.

However, the proposal does not mean that TikTok has already been banned or that a suspension date has been announced. The platform remains operational in Spain while the authorities consider their next steps.

The controversy adds to growing international scrutiny of social media companies over their responsibility to protect children online. Technology platforms face increasing pressure to improve content detection, remove illegal material quickly and prevent individuals from using their services to exploit minors.

For Spain, the latest investigation has raised broader questions about whether existing safeguards are sufficient to protect young users from online abuse.