Madrid:Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has expressed approval of the public prosecutor's decision to investigate the circulation of child sexual abuse material on TikTok. He described the development as 'great news' and emphasized that 'impunity on social media has come to an end.'

According to Anadolu Agency – English, the investigation aims to address the creation and dissemination of child sexual abuse and exploitation material on the platform. This action was prompted by a report from the Spanish fact-checking news portal Maldita.es, which identified over 1,000 posts containing such content on TikTok within a 35-day period.

The report by Maldita.es revealed the existence of 1,183 posts of explicit child sexual abuse material, garnering 48 million views. It also highlighted more than 20,000 profiles of potential predators, including over 7,000 Spanish-language profiles. Out of 50 videos reported to TikTok by the portal, only five were removed by the platform.

Prime Minister Sanchez also stated that the Spanish government is ready to suspend TikTok in the country if necessary, prioritizing children's rights. "If we have to suspend a social network, we will, because children's rights come first," he asserted during an interview on La Septima television.

Spain's Youth and Children Minister Sira Rego labeled the findings by Maldita.es as 'extremely serious.' Meanwhile, Secretary of State for Youth and Children Ruben Perez Correa remarked that if a platform permits child abuse, the issue extends beyond the abuser alone.