Spain asks its data watchdog to block TikTok over child abuse videos

Spain's government wants TikTok switched off in the country, at least for now. Youth and Children Minister Sira Rego has asked the company to suspend its activity in Spain and, in case it refuses, has asked the data protection agency to block the platform. "If it were up to us, it would have been closed yesterday. This has to end," she said.

What happened?

The move follows an investigation by the fact-checking outlet Maldita.es. It found more than 1,000 videos and 20,000 profiles of potential paedophiles who exchange or sell material showing the sexual abuse of minors.

Rego met TikTok representatives to demand explanations. She says she got few answers: the company said it would "study the situation" and little more. She also says that of 50 videos reported, only five were removed.

She has asked TikTok to take down the material, publish a verifiable count of suspended accounts, fix its moderation system and present a correction plan with deadlines. She also wants it to stop recommending profiles linked to this content, which she calls a very serious violation of fundamental rights.

How could TikTok be blocked?

Rego has written to the AEPD (Spain's data protection agency), citing article 66.1 of the EU's GDPR. It allows a national authority, in exceptional and urgent cases, to adopt provisional measures that apply in its own territory. They can last up to three months.

She also wrote on Monday to the State Prosecutor's Office, asking it to consider all necessary measures, including a possible interruption of the service.

TikTok has 26 million monthly users in Spain. The company says keeping the platform safe is its top priority, that sexually explicit content involving minors is strictly banned, and that it uses advanced detection technology to remove it.

Has this happened before?

In 2021, Italy's data protection authority ordered TikTok to block users whose age could not be verified, after a 10-year-old girl died doing a viral challenge. TikTok agreed to introduce age-verification safeguards.

Rego also recalled that in January her ministry asked prosecutors to investigate X over nude images of minors generated by its AI, Grok. No shutdown followed.

What's next?

Now the decision lies with the AEPD, which would also have to explain its reasons to the other EU data authorities if it acts. The ministry insists that protecting children cannot depend only on tech companies regulating themselves.