Maldita.es

What Maldita.es does

Maldita.es is a Madrid-headquartered, non-profit Spanish fact-checking journalism organization operating under Fundación Maldita.es Contra la Desinformación, founded in 2018. The platform publishes daily verified fact-checks (Desinfo section), pre-emptive debunking content (Prebunking), investigative reports on disinformation ecosystems (Investigaciones), and political accountability journalism (Control del Poder), supported by a searchable hoax archive (Buloteca), a science fact-checking unit (Maldita Ciencia), an educational/training arm (Maldita Educa), and a historical archive (Maldita Hemeroteca). Its AI toolkit includes the Sof-IA chatbot for child online safety, AI4Media-developed deepfake and image-manipulation detection, and the AI4Trust real-time social-media monitoring platform, spanning text, image, and video modalities. The organization is an IFCN Code of Principles signatory and a verified EFCSN member, and it distributes content free of charge via its website, WhatsApp, email newsletter, and a broad social-media footprint (Twitter/X, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, TikTok, Telegram), funded by EU research grants, foundation support, and an individual ambassador/donor program rather than commercial revenue.

Name

Maldita.es

Legal name

ASOCIACION MALDITA CONTRA LA DESINFORMACION PERIODISMO EDUCACION INVESTIGACION Y DATOS EN NUEVOS FORMATOS / FUNDACIÓN MALDITA.ES CONTRA LA DESINFORMACIÓN: PERIODISMO EDUCACIÓN INVESTIGACIÓN Y DATOS EN NUEVOS FORMATOS

Website

https://maldita.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Maldita.es is a Madrid-based Spanish non-profit fact-checking journalism organization that publishes free disinformation verifications, prebunking content, and investigations for the Spanish-speaking public, AI-powered verification tools, and educational media-literacy programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Fact-Checking Journalism

NAICS

Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (51929)

akta.pro primary industry

Brand Safety, Monitoring & Social Listening (MPAAAOAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Compliance & Risk Intelligence Publishing (KYC/AML, ESG, Cyber, Privacy) (MPAJACAC)

Keywords

• Fact-checking journalism
• Disinformation verification
• Prebunking content
• Media literacy training
• Deepfake detection

Headquarters

HQ city

Madrid

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Non-profit public interest journalism: Maldita.es operates as a non-profit project of the Fundación Maldita.es, relying on grants, donations, and partnerships rather than commercial revenue. Content and verification services are provided free of charge to the public.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Maldita.es is a Spanish non-profit fact-checking journalism platform that verifies disinformation, publishes prebunking content and investigations, and runs political accountability reporting. Its offerings are distributed free of charge to the public via a website, WhatsApp verification service, weekly email newsletter, social channels, and media-literacy training through Maldita Educa, all under the Fundación Maldita.es nonprofit structure.

Product overview

Maldita.es operates as a non-profit Spanish fact-checking journalism organization under Fundación Maldita.es, offering a multi-section platform centered on disinformation verification (Desinfo), prebunking content (Prebunking), investigative journalism (Investigaciones), and political accountability (Control del Poder). The platform is supported by specialized tools including the Buloteca searchable hoax database, Maldita Educa for training workshops, the Maldita Hemeroteca historical archive, and Maldita Ciencia for science fact-checking. A WhatsApp integration (Bot de WhatsApp) enables automated claim verification, while the Policy section provides regulatory research. The core portfolio follows the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN) principles and EFCSN standards.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Maldita.es Platform The core free, public-interest fact-checking journalism platform combining Desinfo verification articles, Prebunking explainers, Investigaciones, Control del Poder accountability reporting, Policy analysis, and the Buloteca database, distributed at no charge to the Spanish-speaking general public and to media professionals.
• Maldita Educa Educational division of Maldita.es that provides media-literacy training, fact-checking methodology workshops, and team programs for organizations, teachers, and institutions seeking to build misinformation resistance.
• WhatsApp Verification Service Automated WhatsApp-based fact-checking service that allows any user to submit claims to +34 644 229 319 and receive automated verification, providing direct on-demand misinformation checking via a messaging channel widely used in Spain.
• Sof-IA Chatbot AI-powered chatbot developed in collaboration with Scena9 (Romania) and Rubryka (Ukraine) to assist in child online safety by providing automated guidance on digital violence, cyberbullying, AI-generated deepfake abuse, and online child exploitation prevention.
• Buloteca Searchable database and catalog of verified hoaxes, misinformation claims, and Maldita.es fact-checks, allowing users and journalists to look up whether a specific claim has already been debunked.
• Maldita Hemeroteca Sub-brand providing a historical archive of how Spanish politicians and institutions have addressed issues over time, offering long-term context for political accountability reporting.
• Maldita Ciencia Sub-brand dedicated to fact-checking scientific and health-related claims, covering topics such as climate, nutrition, vaccines, and other science-adjacent topics circulating in Spanish media.

Quantifiable outcome

• 28.9% market share of Spanish fact-checks in Elections24Check European Parliament elections 2024 project

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability8 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Elections24Check Project ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborative European project analyzing fact-checking contributions during the 2024 European Parliament elections. Maldita contributed 28.9% of Spanish fact-checks to the project, which collected 3,256 total fact-checks from January-December 2024.
• NewtralcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Leading Spanish fact-checking organization that contributed 35.6% of fact-checks in the Elections24Check project. Maldita ranked second at 28.9%.
• AI4MediacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020EU-funded initiative developing AI verification tools for journalists to detect AI-generated disinformation. Coordinated by Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH).
• AI4TrustcoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2020EU-funded project building monitoring platforms that track disinformation across European social media in near real-time. Led by Fondazione Bruno Kessler in Italy.
• Scena9 (Romania)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative investigation on digital violence against minors, including cyberbullying, AI-generated deepfake abuse, and online child sexual exploitation.
• Rubryka (Ukraine)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint investigation on child online safety across three countries (Spain, Romania, Ukraine), examining prevention initiatives and legislative responses.
• Deutsche WelleminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTesting AI4Trust verification tools in real-world newsroom settings.
• VRTminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEuropean media organization testing AI4Trust monitoring platforms for disinformation detection.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Snopes: Pioneer US-based fact-checking site and IFCN signatory with a large searchable archive of verified claims. Comparable in operating a fact-check database analogous to Maldita's Buloteca and serving a broad general public.
• AFP Factuel: Wire-service fact-checking operation from Agence France-Presse, one of the largest global IFCN-accredited networks. Comparable in methodology (verification, prebunking) but operates as a unit within a major global news agency rather than as an independent non-profit.

Emerging players

• Logically: Tech-led fact-checking and disinformation intelligence firm combining human analysts with AI tools. Comparable in its AI-driven approach to misinformation detection (paralleling Maldita's AI4Media/AI4Trust work) and its focus on serving platforms, governments, and enterprises.

Direct peers

• Full Fact: UK-based fact-checking charity and EFCSN member. Comparable non-profit structure with significant investment in AI-powered automated fact-checking tools, paralleling Maldita's AI4Media/AI4Trust work and representing a similar European regulatory-facing peer.
• Chequeado: Argentina-based IFCN-accredited fact-checker and Latin American category leader. Operates a similar non-profit model with WhatsApp-based verification, prebunking, and investigations — closely comparable in mission, structure, and Spanish-language audience.
• PolitiFact: Pulitzer Prize-winning US fact-checking organization, IFCN signatory. Operates a comparable editorial model with labeled claim verdicts, political accountability journalism, and dedicated fact-check database — analogous to Maldita's Desinfo and Buloteca.
• Agência Lupa: Brazilian IFCN-accredited fact-checking agency. Comparable Ibero-American peer operating with a similar non-profit/agency hybrid model, Portuguese-language audience, and methodology (claim rating, investigations, prebunking).
• Maldita.es (Factchequeado): US Latino-focused fact-checking initiative in which Maldita participates alongside Chequeado and other partners. Directly comparable model for cross-border Spanish-language misinformation defense targeting diaspora audiences.
• Newtral: Spain's leading fact-checking organization, contributing 35.6% of Spanish fact-checks in Elections24Check vs. Maldita's 28.9%. Directly competes in the same Spanish-language market with similar IFCN/EFCSN accreditation and overlapping methodology (verification, prebunking, political accountability).

Regional players

• The Dispatch (Fact Check): European perspective on fact-checking and accountability journalism; relevant as a regional English-language peer adjacent to Maldita's EFCSN membership and EU regulatory exposure, though not a direct competitor in Spanish-language markets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/maldita
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC2sbPyIvF9U7Rk-6b_MggGw
• Facebookfacebook.com/mhemeroteca
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/malditaes
• Instagraminstagram.com/maldita.es/?hl=es
• TikToktiktok.com/@malditobulo?lang=es

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Maldita.es