Ammon News - The Spanish government has ordered prosecutors to investigate social media platforms X, Meta (META.O), opens new tab and TikTok for allegedly spreading AI-generated child sexual abuse material, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday.

The announcement comes as European regulators are cracking down on big tech companies, alleging the prevalence of abusive practices on online platforms ranging from anti-competitive behaviour in digital advertising to deliberate design of addictive features on social media.

The three companies named by Sanchez did not immediately respond to emailed requests for comment.

GROWING GLOBAL SCRUTINY OF TECH PLATFORMS
"These platforms are undermining the mental health, dignity, and rights of our children," Sanchez wrote on his X account. "The state cannot allow this. The impunity of these giants must end."

He said the government would ask prosecutors to "investigate the crimes that X, Meta, and TikTok may be committing through the creation and dissemination of child pornography using their AI".

Spain is not the only country probing sexually explicit content generated by Elon Musk's xAI chatbot Grok on X - other governments have launched investigations, bans and demands for safeguards in a growing global push to curb illegal material.

Earlier this month, Sanchez announced several measures aimed at curbing online abuse and protecting children, including a proposed ban on access to social media platforms for those under the age of 16.

Reuters