Kidflix
{{Short description|Defunct child pornography website}}{{Infobox website
| name = Kidflix
| logo = Kidflix website.webp
| logo_caption = Kidflix after it was taken down by Europol
| type = Secret child pornography file sharing website
| founded = 2021
| dissolved = March 11, 2025 (shutdown by Europol)
| country_of_origin = Germany
| area_served = Worldwide
| assets = 91,000 CSAM
| users = 1,800,000+
}}
Kidflix was a dark web pedophile site that hosted child pornography from 2021 to 2025. It was created by an unnamed cybercriminal in 2021. Kidflix was one of the largest pedophile platforms in the world, approximately 1.8 million users worldwide logged on Kidflix between April 2022 and March 2025.{{Cite web |date=April 2, 2025 |title=Germany shuts down major online child sex abuse material platform 'KidFlix' |url=https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20250402-germany-takes-down-major-online-child-pornography-platform |website=France 24}}{{Cite web |date=April 2, 2025 |title=Global crackdown on Kidflix, a major child sexual exploitation platform with almost two million users |url=https://www.europol.europa.eu/media-press/newsroom/news/global-crackdown-kidflix-major-child-sexual-exploitation-platform-almost-two-million-users |website=European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation}}
Kidflix's stopped its operations on March 11, 2025, after German authorities raided the server room of the site and shut it down. They also seized 72,000 illegal videos from the site and personal information of its users, resulting in arrests of 1,400 suspects around the world.
History
Kidflix was created by an unnamed cybercriminal in order to make profits from uploading and sharing illegal content through the platform in 2021.{{Cite web |last=Dimitrova |first=Risida |date=April 3, 2025 |title=Bulgaria Contributes to Crackdown on World's Biggest Child Sexual Exploitation Platform |url=https://www.bta.bg/en/news/world/864691-bulgaria-contributes-to-crackdown-on-world-s-biggest-child-sexual-exploitation-p |website=Bulgarian News Agency}} Since it was created, it quickly became one of the most popular platforms for pedophiles. 91,000 illegal videos were uploaded and shared on the site while it was active, with a total running time of 6,288 hours. Approximately, 3.5 new videos were uploaded to Kidflix every hour, the majority of which were previously unknown to law enforcement.{{Cite web |last=Apostol |first=Lore |date=April 3, 2025 |title=Major Child Exploitation Platform 'Kidflix' Shut Down in Global Law Enforcement Crackdown |url=https://www.technadu.com/major-child-exploitation-platform-kidflix-shut-down-in-global-law-enforcement-crackdown/583593/ |website=TechNadu}}{{Cite web |last= |date=April 14, 2025 |title=Crypto Crimes Surge 1200% as Global Crackdown on CSAM Intensifies |url=https://the420.in/crypto-crimes-surge-1200-as-global-crackdown-on-csam-intensifies/ |access-date= |website=The 420 |language=en-US}}
Unlike other platforms, it allowed its users to download child pornography and also stream video files. Users of Kidflix made payments using cryptocurrencies which were converted into tokens. Tokens were an insite currency which were used to unlock new videos. Users could upload pornography, verify video titles and descriptions and assign categories to videos to earn more tokens.{{Cite web |date=April 2, 2025 |title=Police take down 'Kidflix' child abuse platform, Europol says |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/world/police-take-down-kidflix-child-abuse-platform-europol-says-3474677 |website=Deccan Herald}}
Each video on the site was uploaded in different versions: low, medium and high quality, allowing its users to preview the content and pay cryptocurrencies for tokens to unlock higher quality versions. Kidflix offered payment methods ranging from 6 to 180 dollars for lifetime premium access to the videos.{{Cite web |last=Shewafera |first=Lisabell |date=April 2, 2025 |title=Child abuse: "One of the most reprehensible acts" |url=https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/panorama/kriminalitaet/paedophile-plattform-darknet-lka-bayern-100.html |website=ZdfHeute}} Senior prosecutor Thomas Goger stated that majority of identified users of Kidflix were 20 to 40 years old, with an average age of 31. The oldest user of the site was in their 70s, while the youngest was born in 2006. The majority of them were long-time darknet users.
Arrests
On March 11, 2025, the server room of the site, which contained around 72,000 CSAM videos, was seized by German and Dutch law enforcement as part of "Operation Stream". Approximately 1,400 suspects around the world who were affiliated with Kidflix were arrested.{{Cite web |date=April 2, 2025 |title=79 Arrested as Dark Web's Largest Child Abuse Network 'Kidflix' Busted |url=https://hackread.com/dark-web-largest-child-abuse-network-kidflix-busted/ |website=HackRead}} On that day, authorities were able to remove Kidflix from the dark web.{{Cite web |date=April 3, 2025 |title=West Midlands Police help take down sickening Dark Web platform 'Kidflix' |url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/local-news/west-midlands-police-help-take-31337278 |website=CoventryLive News}} In Germany, police raided 96 locations, arresting 103 individual suspects. These include a 36-year-old man who searched for child abuse images on Kidflix. He also "offered his young son for games". The child of the man was handed over to child protection services.{{Cite web |date=April 2, 2025 |title=European police say KidFlix, "one of the largest pedophile platforms in the world," busted in joint operation |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/germany-online-child-sexual-abuse-platform-kidflix-busted-europol/ |website=CBS News}}{{Cite web |last=Klinger |first=Mirjan |date=April 7, 2025 |title=Great success in the fight against child abuse |url=https://www.behoerden-spiegel.de/2025/04/07/grosser-schlag-fuer-den-kampf-gegen-kindesmissbrauch/ |website=Behorden Spiegel}} The German police were also able to rescue two minors who lived in the same household as one Kidflix user. Other minors who were victims of sexual abuse were identified.{{Cite web |last=Mattuseek |first=Karin |date=April 2, 2025 |title=Pedophile Site With 1.8 Million Users Shut in Global Raids |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-02/pedophile-site-with-1-8-million-users-shut-in-global-crackdown |website=Bloomberg}} The investigation has also caused a "serial abuser" in United States to be arrested.{{Cite web |last=Thakur |first=Anjali |date=April 3, 2025 |title=Paedophile Network 'Kidflix' Busted, 72,000 Child Abuse Videos, 1.8 Million Users Exposed |url=https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/paedophile-network-kidflix-busted-72-000-child-abuse-videos-1-8-million-users-exposed-8079795 |website=NDTV}}{{Cite web |last1=Rucker |first1=Karah |last2=Bramhall |first2=Bast |date=April 4, 2025 |title=International agency dismantles child abuse network on dark web, "Kidflix" |url=https://san.com/cc/international-agency-dismantles-child-abuse-network-on-dark-web-kidflix/ |access-date= |website=Straight Arrow News |language=en-US}} 60 suspects in Yorkshire, United Kingdom were identified and 30 arrested.{{Cite web |last=Prichard |first=Jonathan |date=April 3, 2025 |title=Kidflix: Yorkshire users identified after global crackdown on major child sexual exploitation site |url=https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/crime/kidflix-yorkshire-users-identified-after-global-crackdown-on-major-child-sexual-exploitation-site-5064362 |website=Yorkshire Post}} 10 people in Switzerland who tried to distribute and consume child pornography on Kidflix were arrested.{{Cite web |last=Debert |first=Arne |date=April 2, 2025 |title=Strike against child pornography platform "KidFlix" - police catch 10 Swiss nationals |url=https://www.bluewin.ch/en/news/switzerland/europe-wide-crackdown-on-paedophile-platform-kidflix-police-catch-10-swiss-nationals-2635152.html |website=Blue News}} 2 men from Malta were arrested and charged after they were identified buying and uploading child pornography on Kidflix.{{Cite web |date=April 6, 2024 |title=Two Maltese man arrested in major international child sexual exploitation crackdown |url=https://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2025-04-06/local-news/Two-Maltese-men-among-79-arrested-in-major-international-child-sexual-exploitation-crackdown-6736269152 |website=The Malta Independent}}
Operation Stream started in 2022 and is still ongoing. It has resulted in 1,393 suspects being identified, 79 suspects arrested, over 3,000 electronic devices seized and 39 children protected.{{Cite web |last=Bartko |first=Karen |date=April 2, 2025 |title=Child porn charges laid against Edmonton man in international 'Kidflix' crackdown |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/11111873/edmonton-child-pornography-kidflix/ |website=Global News}} The operation was led by German police and supported by law enforcement in 38 countries, including Australia, Canada and United States, under coordination of Europol.