Spain’s government has instructed prosecutors to investigate social media platforms X, Meta and TikTok over the alleged creation and dissemination of AI-generated child sexual abuse material, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on Tuesday.
In a post on X, Sánchez said the Council of Ministers would invoke Article 8 of the Organic Statute of the Public Prosecution Service to formally request an investigation into potential crimes linked to the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to generate and distribute child pornography.
“These platforms are attacking the mental health, dignity and rights of our sons and daughters,” Sánchez wrote.
“The State cannot allow it. The impunity of the giants must end.”
The probe will examine whether the companies enabled or failed to prevent the circulation of artificially generated child abuse content in breach of Spanish law.
Spain’s move comes as several countries raise concern about the risks posed by AI and social media platforms, particularly in relation to children.
Australia became the first country to fully implement a nationwide ban barring children under 16-years of age from accessing major social media platforms, with the law taking effect in December 2025. The legislation followed widespread public debate about online harms and platform accountability.
In Europe, lawmakers have intensified discussions on setting minimum digital age limits. The European Parliament has called for harmonised rules across the bloc, proposing a digital minimum age of 16-years for access to social media and AI chatbots, while allowing limited access for younger teenagers with parental consent.
France recently approved legislation prohibiting children under 15-years from using social media platforms, pending final parliamentary approval.
Spain and Greece have also advanced proposals to restrict access for minors, with Madrid signalling support for a ban on under under 16-year olds and Athens considering similar measures for those under 15-years.
Other countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, Türkiye, India and the Czech Republic, are debating comparable restrictions.
Some governments are focusing specifically on platform design features, recommendation algorithms and AI tools that may expose young users to harmful content.
The debate has intensified following reports that AI systems integrated into social media platforms have been used to generate non-consensual sexual images, including images involving minors.
The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF has urged governments to criminalise the creation of AI-generated child sexual abuse material, warning of an increase in such content online.
Spain’s decision to invoke prosecutorial powers marks one of the most direct legal actions in Europe aimed at holding major technology platforms accountable for the misuse of AI in connection with child exploitation material.
The companies have not yet publicly responded to the Spanish government’s announcement.
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Global oil prices reached a four year high on Monday (9 March), surpassing $119 a barrel, as conflict in the Middle East rumbled on. Meanwhile, the Turkish Military said NATO air defence systems destroyed a missile fired from Iran towards the country.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
China has urged Afghanistan and Pakistan to resolve their dispute through dialogue after Chinese envoy Yue Xiaoyong met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, as fighting between the two neighbours entered its eleventh day.
Iranian civilian and military officials have pledged their obedience to the new leader, Ayatollah Seyed Mojtaba Khamenei, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying his leadership “will herald a new era of dignity and authority for the Iranian nation.”.
Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, is a hardline cleric with strong backing from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. His rise signals continuity in Tehran's anti-Western policies.
Trump says the United States "don’t need people that join wars after we’ve already won," targeting his criticism at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Israel continues to fire missles at strategic sites in Iran and Gulf regions report more strikes from Iran.
Global oil prices surpassed $119 a barrel on Monday (9 March, 2026), an almost four year high, as the Middle East conflict rumbled on.
Iran named Mojtaba Khamenei to succeed his father Ali Khamenei as supreme leader on Monday (9 March), signaling that hardliners remain firmly in charge, as the week-old U.S.-Israeli war with Iran pushed oil above $100 a barrel.
Entry and exit across the state border between Azerbaijan and Iran for all types of cargo vehicles, including those in transit, will resume on 9 March, according to a statement by the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
U.S. President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke by phone on Sunday as tensions between Washington and Westminster deepened over the conflict involving Iran. The call came less than a day after Trump criticised Britain’s response to U.S. strikes on Iranian targets.
Norwegian police are searching for a suspect after an explosion at the U.S. embassy in Oslo on 8 March caused minor damage but no injuries, in what authorities say may have been a deliberate attack linked to the Middle East crisis.
An explosion damaged a synagogue in the Belgian city of Liège early on Monday (9 March) in what authorities said was an antisemitic attack that caused damage but no injuries.
The Group of Seven (G7) finance ministers will meet on Monday to discuss a global rise in oil prices and a joint release of oil from emergency reserves coordinated by the International Energy Agency, the Financial Times reports.
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