Reports published November 9 said Spain’s Ministry of Youth and Children had referred information about child-safety allegations on TikTok to the State Prosecutor’s Office. The government was also considering suspending TikTok’s services in Spain, according to El Correo and EL MUNDO. Their accounts described a possible measure, not an adopted suspension.
A referral to prosecutors, a request for a meeting and a possible suspension are separate steps in the reported response.
What Spain’s government did
The ministry asked the State Prosecutor’s Office to take measures within its authority to protect children who might be affected, the reports said. Sira Rego, the minister for youth and children, also requested an urgent meeting with TikTok representatives in Spain to hear the company’s explanations and discuss its protective measures.
The allegations and TikTok’s response
The reports attributed the allegations to an investigation by Maldita.es. TikTok told EL MUNDO that sexually explicit material involving minors is prohibited and that it uses systems to detect and address such content. The company said people seeking to evade detection keep changing their tactics.
TikTok also accused Maldita.es of not sharing its investigation, saying this made it harder for the platform to locate the material and report it to law enforcement.
