One of many largest on-line platforms for little one sexual exploitation has been dismantled in a serious worldwide regulation enforcement operation.
Kidflix, which had 1.8 million registered customers, was shut down on March 11 2025 after a prolonged investigation led by Bavarian authorities and supported by Europol.
The platform, which allowed customers to stream and obtain little one sexual abuse materials (CSAM), had been working since 2021.
The operation, named “Operation Stream,” resulted within the identification of 1393 suspects worldwide. Thus far, 79 people have been arrested, with authorities confirming that some not solely distributed unlawful content material but additionally engaged within the abuse of youngsters.
The crackdown additionally led to the seizure of greater than 3000 digital gadgets and the safety of 39 youngsters.
Kidflix had an enormous assortment of illicit materials, with over 91,000 distinctive movies uploaded total. These movies, which totaled 6288 hours of footage, have been often up to date, with a median of three.5 new uploads per hour.
The platform used a token-based system the place customers may earn or buy tokens to entry higher-quality variations of movies. Funds have been primarily made in cryptocurrency, which made efforts to trace monetary transactions harder.
The investigation started in 2022 and culminated in a two-week enforcement effort from March 10 to March 23 2025.
German and Dutch authorities performed a key function in seizing the platform’s servers, which contained round 72,000 movies on the time of the takedown. The dimensions of the case has made it probably the most important little one exploitation investigations in Europol’s historical past.
The company’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3) reportedly offered in depth help, analyzing 1000’s of movies and cross-checking information to determine offenders.
Europol emphasised the significance of worldwide cooperation in tackling cross-border cybercrime and little one exploitation. The company coordinated the trade of intelligence among the many 35 collaborating international locations.
Authorities warn that on-line little one sexual exploitation is an rising menace fueled by digital anonymity and borderless communication.
Europol has reaffirmed its dedication to combating this crime, encouraging public participation via initiatives like Cease Youngster Abuse – Hint An Object, which helps regulation enforcement determine victims.
