Spain to Investigate Social Media Giants, Escalating Trans-Atlantic Tech Dispute
Spain will investigate X, Meta, and TikTok for allegedly spreading AI-generated child sexual abuse material, escalating a transatlantic tech dispute. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced the investigation, citing concerns about the platforms undermining children's mental health and rights.
The story so far
- Feb 17
How outlets cover it
3 outletsNot rated on the left–right scale. It describes Western party politics and doesn’t fit state media or outlets outside that system, so we show ownership and country instead.
Open questions and key claims
Support in Spain for banning social media use by children under 14 rose to 82 percent in 2025, up from 73 percent in 2024.
Social media executives, such as X owner Elon Musk, have called Sanchez a “traitor to the people of Spain”.
These platforms are undermining the mental health, dignity, and rights of our children.
Social media platforms undermine the mental health, dignity, and rights of our children.
Spain will ask prosecutors to investigate X, Meta and TikTok for allegedly spreading AI-generated child sexual abuse material.
The EU fined X 120 million euros for violations under the Digital Services Act.
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission opened an inquiry into X over Grok's deepfake generation.
Spain has ordered prosecutors to investigate X, Meta and TikTok for AI-generated child sex abuse material.
Who and where
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