Spain has ordered prosecutors to investigate social media platforms X, Meta and TikTok for allegedly spreading AI-generated child sexual abuse material, as European regulators intensify scrutiny of big technology firms over harmful and illegal content.

The announcement by Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez comes amid a wider crackdown on online platforms, with regulators accusing them of practices ranging from anti-competitive behavior in digital advertising to ?deliberate design ?of addictive features.

TikTok said later Tuesday that child sexual abuse material was ¡°abhorrent and categorically prohibited on our platform¡°.