Politics · Spain · 10 hrs ago
Spanish prosecutor seeks urgent removal of child abuse videos from TikTok
Spain’s prosecutor has filed a complaint against TikTok over the spread of child sexual abuse videos on the platform.
The prosecutor has asked a court to order the urgent removal of thousands of videos.
An investigation by the Spanish foundation Maldita.es found more than 1,000 videos with over 48 million views and more than 20,000 profiles it linked to potential sexual offenders.
More than 7,000 of those profiles were in Spanish, and the investigation also found accounts seeking buyers and live streams involving children.
Grooming is a process in which an adult builds a child’s trust before using manipulation or threats to seek sexual images or contact.
Spain’s government has also called for TikTok to stop operating, but the sources do not say what the court will decide.
Spain’s prosecutor has asked a Madrid court to urgently order TikTok to remove child sexual abuse material from its platform.
The complaint followed a Maldita.es investigation that found more than 1,000 videos with over 48 million views and more than 20,000 profiles linked to potential offenders.
Youth and Children’s Minister Sira Rego called for TikTok to review its design and algorithms, saying that closing accounts alone was not enough.
Spain’s data protection agency plans to seek information from TikTok about its removal efforts before ordering a block on access to the content.
- Who
- Spain’s prosecutor filed the complaint against TikTok. Youth and Children’s Minister Sira Rego also called for changes to the platform.
- What
- The prosecutor urgently sought removal of child sexual abuse material and the opening of judicial proceedings.
- When
- The complaint and Rego’s comments were reported on November 13, 2026.
- Where
- The complaint was filed in courts in Madrid, Spain. The material was found on TikTok.
- Why
- A Maldita.es investigation found videos and profiles linked to the exchange or sale of child sexual abuse material on TikTok.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
A Maldita.es investigation found child sexual abuse material and profiles linked to potential offenders on TikTok.
Spain’s Ministry of Youth and Children asked the prosecutor to act.
The prosecutor filed a complaint in Madrid seeking urgent removal of the material and judicial proceedings.
Rego called for TikTok to review its design and algorithms, and the data protection agency said it would seek information from TikTok.
- Videos
- More than 1,000, with over 48 million views
- Profiles
- More than 20,000 linked to potential offenders
- Spanish-language profiles
- More than 7,000
- Location of complaint
- Courts in Madrid, Spain
- Date reported
- November 13, 2026
4 sources
La ministra Rego pide revisar los algoritmos y el diseño de TikTok: "No basta con cerrar cuentas"
La Fiscalía denuncia a TikTok por la elaboración y difusión de contenidos de abuso sexual infantil
La Fiscalía denuncia a TikTok por la difusión de vídeos de abuso sexual infantil y pide su retirada urgente
Día Nacional de la Lucha contra el Grooming: el desafío de proteger a las infancias en internet
What people are saying
It is not enough to close accounts
Change the architecture that facilitates violence
May justice go all the way. Attacking children’s rights must have consequences