Spain: Council of Ministers voted to request investigation into X, Meta, and TikTok over alleged AI-enabled creation and dissemination of child sexual abuse material

On 17 February 2026, Spain's Council of Ministers voted to request the Public Prosecutor's Office to investigate and, where appropriate, prosecute potential crimes of sexual abuse material against minors on major social media platforms, including X, Meta, and TikTok. The Council of Ministers initiated the action under Article 8 of the Organic Statute of the Public Ministry to request an investigation into whether the platforms are facilitating child sexual abuse material through Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven content. Article 8 of the Statute provides that the Government may formally request the Public Prosecutor’s Office to take action in defence of legality, the rights of citizens, or the public interest. The investigation seeks to assess whether algorithms on the platforms enable the creation, dissemination, or monetisation of child sexual abuse material, including deepfakes. It requests prosecutors to analyse potential criminal conduct, assess platform-related liability, pursue charges where justified, and establish procedures enabling victims and guardians to assert their rights. The request is supported by a technical report from the Ministry of the Presidency, Justice and Relations with the Cortes, the Ministry for Digital Transformation and Public Administration, and the Ministry of Youth and Children.