Major Child Exploitation Platform ‘Kidflix’ Shut Down in Global Law Enforcement Crackdown
Published on April 3, 2025
- One of the world's largest platforms for child sexual exploitation was seized in a global law enforcement operation.
- Thousands of videos have been recovered from the Kidflix platform, which has nearly 1.8 million users globally.
- The operation resulted in the arrest of almost 80 individuals, with 1,400 suspects identified.
On March 11, 2025, the servers hosting Kidflix were seized by German and Dutch authorities. The platform contained 72,000 videos at the time, adding to the staggering total of 91,000 unique videos previously uploaded during its operation.Â
The combined runtime of the content exceeded 6,288 hours, with new videos uploaded at an alarming average of 3.5 per hour. Many of these videos were previously unknown to law enforcement, underscoring the platform's reach and pernicious influence.
Unlike other illegal platforms, Kidflix also allowed users to stream content rather than only download it. Offenders earned "tokens" through cryptocurrency-fueled transactions, or by engaging in activities such as uploading and categorizing videos. Tokens were used to access higher-quality versions of uploaded content.
Named "Operation Stream," the investigation into Kidflix began in 2022 and has been the largest child exploitation operation in Europol's history. The coordinated efforts resulted in several significant outcomes:
- 1,393 suspects identified: Law enforcement agencies have shared these profiles internationally to expand ongoing investigations.
- 79 suspects arrested: Among those apprehended, individuals were not only sharing or viewing content but were also directly involved in child abuse.
- 3,000+ electronic devices seized: This data is being analyzed for further leads and to uncover additional offenders or victims.
- 39 children safeguarded: Victims were identified and provided with protection during the probe.
Child sexual exploitation remains one of the EU’s most pressing security concerns, as identified in the EU Serious Organized Crime Threat Assessment (EU-SOCTA). While the digital world provides anonymity for offenders, most suspects apprehended in this case were known to authorities as repeat offenders.Â
To combat such crimes, Europol runs initiatives like the Stop Child Abuse – Trace an Object project, encouraging public participation in identifying objects from abuse material to aid investigations. Twice a year, Europol also hosts a Victim Identification Taskforce, pooling global expertise for identifying and protecting victims.
Led by the Bavarian State Criminal Police (Bayerisches Landeskriminalamt) and the Bavarian Central Office for the Prosecution of Cybercrime (ZCB), the operation, supported by Europol, included contributions from authorities in over 35 countries.
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