Spain orders probe into X, Meta and TikTok over AI child abuse images

Tuesday 17 February 2026 - 13:20

By: Dakir Madiha

Spain orders probe into X, Meta and TikTok over AI child abuse images

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Tuesday that prosecutors have been instructed to investigate X, Meta and TikTok over allegations that their platforms facilitated the creation and distribution of AI generated child sexual abuse material.

In a message posted on X, Sánchez said the platforms were harming the mental health, dignity and rights of children and warned that the state could not tolerate such conduct. He added that the government would ask prosecutors to examine potential crimes linked to the creation and dissemination of child abuse content using artificial intelligence tools available on the platforms. None of the three companies immediately responded to requests for comment.

The move comes amid mounting regulatory pressure on major technology firms across Europe. On the same day, Ireland’s Data Protection Commission announced a formal investigation into X over concerns that its AI chatbot Grok may have generated sexually explicit images of real individuals, including minors.

The Irish regulator said it would assess whether X complied with its obligations under the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation in relation to the processing of personal data of individuals in the EU and the European Economic Area.

Earlier this month, French authorities searched X’s Paris headquarters and summoned Elon Musk for questioning as part of a broader inquiry into the platform’s algorithms and the role of Grok in the production of illegal content.

Spain’s investigation marks the latest step in Sánchez’s campaign to tighten oversight of digital platforms. Speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai earlier this month, he announced plans to seek a ban on social media access for children under 16. He called on platforms to implement robust age verification systems rather than relying on simple self declaration mechanisms.

Sánchez cited research from the Center for Countering Digital Hate estimating that Grok generated around three million sexually explicit images in an 11 day period between late December 2025 and early January 2026. According to the report, approximately 23,000 of those images involved minors.

The Spanish initiative has drawn criticism from Elon Musk, who described Sánchez as a tyrant and accused him of betraying the Spanish people. The prime minister responded that Spain would not be intimidated by what he referred to as tech and algorithmic oligarchs.