Spain investigates alleged child abuse material on TikTok – Macau Business

By AFPSpanish prosecutors on Wednesday ordered an investigation into the alleged distribution of child sexual abuse material on TikTok, following a complaint filed by anti-disinformation group Maldita.es.A prosecutor has been appointed to investigate possible offences involving the production and distribution of child sexual abuse material and the corruption of minors on the social media platform, Spain’s public prosecutor’s office said in a statement.It follows a complaint submitted to the office’s cybercrime unit by Maldita.es, which on Monday accused TikTok of not doing enough to prevent paedophiles from accessing child sexual abuse material or soliciting images from children on the platform.“Material you would expect to find only on the dark web is on TikTok,” the Maldita.es association said.In the investigation published Monday, Maldita.es catalogued more than 1,000 videos of child abuse footage, which had been viewed a total of 48 million times.Maldita.es further alleged that TikTok had removed only a tenth of the material it flagged and blocked just 26 percent of illegal posts in Spain.The complaint to prosecutors cites the publication, distribution and sale of child abuse material on the platform, as well as users directing others to similar content on TikTok and other platforms.It also raises concerns about live broadcasts featuring minors in exchange for financial compensation.Representatives of Maldita.es appeared before a prosecutor on Wednesday to formally confirm their complaint and submit supporting evidence, the public prosecutor’s office said.TikTok, owned by Chinese parent company ByteDance, faces a wave of lawsuits and investigations over accusations that it has failed to protect minors, which the company has frequently denied.On Friday, the EU told TikTok to change the “harmful” design of its personalised For You feed or risk large fines under the bloc’s digital content rules.Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez announced a series of measures in February aimed at tackling the “manipulation and amplification of illegal content” on social media, including plans to ban under-16s from accessing the platforms.The Socialist leader has repeatedly accused X, Meta and TikTok of failing to do enough to tackle the creation and distribution of fake sexual images of minors on their platforms.The bullet-riddled bodies of two policemen were found on Thursday in Indian-administered Kashmir, officials said, a day after suspected rebels wounded three paramilitary troops in a separate attack. The back-to-back shootings have raised fresh security concerns, days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed a year without casualties among paramilitary forces in the disputed Himalayan region. The […] More than 1,600 UK staff at Rockstar Games began voting Thursday over a union recognition deal, one week before the US-owned company unleashes the latest Grand Theft Auto video game. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Thursday said diplomacy should resume “without further delay” to end the US-Iran war after talks with his Iranian counterpart. Turkey’s central bank on Thursday raised its year-end inflation forecast to 29.5 percent from 28 percent, citing supply-side pressures stemming from the Iran war and broader geopolitical tensions. UTM Comments is a partnership between Macau News Agency and Macao University of Tourism By Jessica Marques Macau residents are increasingly visiting the Greater Bay Area for leisure activities, and the ‘Northbound Travel for Macau Vehicles’ scheme has made trips into Guangdong even more convenient for eligible residents by allowing them to drive their own cars.  According […] Wellbeing is not an optional benefit added after business objectives are achieved. In a people-centred industry, it is part of the operating model. For Macao’s large resorts, independent restaurants and other tourism businesses, caring for employees is also a way of protecting service quality, reputation and long-term competitiveness. As consumers spend more of their lives online, retailers are rethinking how they attract, engage, and retain customers  UTM Comments is a partnership between Macau News Agency and Macao University of Tourism  By Marieta Wong, Lecturer Macau’s evolution into a global gastronomy powerhouse is the result of deliberate strategy, not chance. In fact, being designated a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy recognises that the city has built a distinctive culinary identity – one shaped by creativity, […] Leading business news and insights from Macau, covering gaming, finance, tourism, and economic developments.© 2026 Macau Business. All rights reserved.source