TikTok told Maldita.es that only two of 40 live streams it reported during broadcasts breached the platform’s rules, despite the accounts being identified as under 18. The investigation recorded 78 streams involving minors across 13 countries, with more than 1,900 sexually explicit comments or comments about buying and selling child sexual abuse material.
The figure of 1,900 comes from a review of more than 20,600 comments on 50 broadcasts recorded over six days in October 2026. Maldita.es classified the comments by severity and included streams with at least one serious or very serious comment. Requests for girls to show their feet appeared 839 times; 43 comments asked them to show their tongues.
The broadcasts were accessible to other users, and TikTok’s recommendation system surfaced some of them. In three days, the investigators said, the platform recommended 19 streams featuring minors, including one by a 10-year-old in Spain. TikTok also sent notifications when some of the accounts began streaming, based on the profile’s recent activity.
The recommendation system is also under scrutiny in a separate European Union Digital Services Act proceeding. On 6 November 2026, the European Commission issued preliminary findings that TikTok’s personalised “For You” feed could repeatedly direct users towards related material involving sadness, isolation, body image and mental-health struggles, posing particular risks to minors and vulnerable adults. The Commission said TikTok’s measures to diversify recommendations and give users control over suggested content were inadequate. The formal proceedings, opened on 19 February 2024, also cover addictive design, protection of minors, advertising transparency and researcher access. The November findings remain preliminary, and TikTok may inspect the case file and respond before a final decision.
Maldita.es found streams in 13 countries, with 51 of the 78 recorded in Spain. The broadcasts drew comments in 26 languages. In a sample of five streams, viewers sent more than 1,000 virtual gifts worth 13,077 coins, an estimated €143.85 based on TikTok’s displayed coin prices.
Users can buy a virtual “galaxy” gift for 1,000 coins, costing about €11. TikTok keeps part of the money spent on gifts, but its exact share is unclear. A 2022 BBC experiment estimated that the company could retain up to 69% of live-stream revenue; TikTok told the BBC its commission was significantly below 70%. An internal company investigation that year found that gifts sent during live streams breaking its rules generated significant revenue.
The platform’s rules bar under-18s from hosting TikTok Lives, while children under 13 are not supposed to use TikTok. Yet the streams included children as young as 10. Adults made sexual requests and offered gifts, money or contact through services such as WhatsApp and Telegram. Javier Sanz, a criminologist specialising in cybercrime, told Maldita.es that anonymity and the presence of other commenters can make users feel less accountable. TikTok’s published advertising safeguards separately restrict advertisers’ ability to target users under 18 in the European Economic Area and several other regions. They also prohibit advertising that could endanger minors’ health or safety; those rules concern advertising, not livestream moderation.
The investigation also documented risks beyond comments. Most of the accounts reviewed were public, allowing users to enter broadcasts and record them. Europol has warned that such recordings can later be circulated on dark-web forums. Personal details shared in streams, including names, towns and schools, may also help adults build trust with children, increasing the risk of grooming and sextortion.
The findings follow an earlier TikTok investigation in which Maldita.es said it planned to take the company to Spain’s justice system over child-abuse material. In the current study, the organisation reported 40 live streams while they were running. TikTok said just two violated its rules.
