TECH

Spain Pushes for TikTok Suspension Over Child Abuse Content

Published: Nov. 12, 2026 12:17 a.m. GMT+8

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TikTok on a mobile phone in Barcelona, Spain, on Feb. 4, 2026. Photo: VCG

Spain’s youth and children’s ministry asked the country’s data protection authority on Tuesday to temporarily suspend TikTok after a nonprofit investigation identified thousands of accounts offering or seeking child sexual abuse material.

The ministry wants TikTok to remove the material, cooperate with prosecutors and provide a verifiable report confirming the cleanup. It cannot order a suspension itself and has also asked Spain’s prosecutor general to seek one.

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Spain’s ministry asked data authorities to suspend TikTok after Maldita.es found 7,725 accounts offering child sexual abuse content and 1,183 explicit videos with 48 million views.
Ministry demands content removal, prosecutor cooperation, and a verified cleanup report; suspension could last up to three months.
TikTok says it prohibits such content but claims Maldita.es withheld full findings, hindering removal efforts.

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Who’s Who

TikTok: Spain's youth ministry asked its data protection authority to temporarily suspend TikTok after a nonprofit found thousands of accounts sharing or seeking child sexual abuse material. TikTok says it prohibits such content, uses advanced detection, and accused the nonprofit of not sharing full findings. Any suspension would be limited to Spain, lasting up to three months.

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What Happened When

February 2024：: The European Commission opened an investigation into TikTok for possible violations of the EU’s Digital Services Act, including protections for minors.

July 2026：: The commission issued preliminary findings that TikTok failed to meet the law’s safety requirements for minors’ accounts.

September 11 to October 15, 2026：: Maldita.es collected 12,068 Spanish-language comments over this 35-day period, identifying 7,725 accounts publicly claiming to possess, seek, exchange, or offer child sexual abuse material for sale.

November 6, 2026：: The commission preliminarily found that TikTok’s recommendation system violated the law by encouraging users to keep scrolling.

November 11, 2026：: Spain’s youth and children’s ministry requested the data protection authority to temporarily suspend TikTok after a nonprofit investigation identified thousands of accounts offering or seeking child sexual abuse material. The ministry met with representatives of Maldita.es and TikTok on this date.

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