‘KidFlix’ in Switzerland
Years of investigation have led to one of the greatest successes in the fight against the distribution of child sexual abuse material. With the support of several countries, including Switzerland, the Bavarian State Criminal Police Office (BLKA) has dealt a significant blow to the darknet platform KidFlix.
More than 91,000 videos, 6,288 hours of content and an average of three new videos made available every hour – these aren’t figures from the streaming platform Netflix, but from KidFlix, a dark web platform that hosts videos depicting, in some cases, severe sexual abuse of children, including toddlers.
The KidFlix platform is accessible only via the TOR network, which allows anonymous browsing. On the darknet, it is impossible to trace who is accessing this streaming platform. Most of the video files are available for free. Those interested in high-quality video files are charged a fee of USD 180, payable exclusively via cryptocurrency. The fee grants users lifetime access to the entire platform.
Start of the investigation
The BLKA first came across KidFlix in 2022 through darknet monitoring. It faced the major challenge of identifying users on the anonymous darknet. Even though users remain anonymous, their cryptocurrency transactions leave traces and provide BLKA investigators with initial clues for identifying potential users. Specific findings of the investigation were published in 2024. The German partner agencies then informed Europol and the countries concerned about the streaming platform and its suspected users. The aim was to arrest the identified users at the same time across the globe.
Under the code name STREAM, fedpol took over cases with a link to Switzerland from BLKA. In doing so, fedpol identified ten individuals as so-called premium users. To take action against the suspects, fedpol brought the relevant partners on board, including the cantonal police forces of Aargau, Bern, Thurgau, Vaud and Zurich, as well as the Basel-Landschaft police and the Zurich City Police.
In March 2025, the raids took place simultaneously in Switzerland and other countries. They were coordinated to prevent the suspects from warning one another and deleting potential evidence. Further raids followed later in the United States. A total of 1,400 premium users were identified worldwide: in 32 European countries, as well as in the U.S., Australia, Canada, Colombia and New Zealand. Of the 1,400 identified premium users, 79 suspects were arrested. The analysis of the data storage devices seized during the arrests took months.
“Many paedophiles are hunters and gatherers. Consequently, very large amounts of data are seized during arrests. The analysis work is time-consuming, resource-intensive, and psychologically taxing.”
Yves, Deputy Head of the Cybercrime Central Office
Although Operation STREAM represents one of the greatest successes in the fight against the distribution of child sexual abuse material, not all users of the KidFlix platform have yet been identified. The sad reality is that perpetrators, particularly in the area of child sexual abuse, are very well connected worldwide. They share tips with one another and use forums with instructions on how to avoid detection. There are even manuals on the subject.
This makes joint cross-border investigations and innovative, state-of-the-art tools all the more important. This is the only way to identify both perpetrators and victims and ensure safety.