Maldita.es
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersMadrid, Spain
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
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.
Maldita.es firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Maldita.es industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Maldita.es is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Madrid
- HQ country
- Spain
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Maldita.es business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- 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
Maldita.es product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Maldita.es
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Maldita.es technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
AI capability8 records
Feature1 record
Maldita.es partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Elections24Check Project ConsortiumcoreCollaborative 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.
- NewtralcoreLeading Spanish fact-checking organization that contributed 35.6% of fact-checks in the Elections24Check project. Maldita ranked second at 28.9%.
- AI4MediacoreEU-funded initiative developing AI verification tools for journalists to detect AI-generated disinformation. Coordinated by Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH).
- AI4TrustcoreEU-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)minorCollaborative investigation on digital violence against minors, including cyberbullying, AI-generated deepfake abuse, and online child sexual exploitation.
- Rubryka (Ukraine)minorJoint investigation on child online safety across three countries (Spain, Romania, Ukraine), examining prevention initiatives and legislative responses.
- Deutsche WelleminorTesting AI4Trust verification tools in real-world newsroom settings.
- VRTminorEuropean media organization testing AI4Trust monitoring platforms for disinformation detection.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Maldita.es competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad 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
Maldita.es social profiles
Digital presenceMaldita.es compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Maldita.es financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Maldita.es leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
Maldita.es funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Maldita.es M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Maldita.es
What does Maldita.es do?
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.
Is Maldita.es a public or private company?
Maldita.es is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Maldita.es founded?
Maldita.es was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Maldita.es based?
Maldita.es is headquartered in Madrid, Spain, in the Europe region.
How does Maldita.es make money?
One revenue line is on record: non-profit public interest journalism.
Who are Maldita.es's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Snopes and AFP Factuel. Logically is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Full Fact, Chequeado, PolitiFact, Agência Lupa, Maldita.es (Factchequeado) and Newtral. The Dispatch (Fact Check) is listed as a regional player.
Does Maldita.es have an API?
No public API is recorded for Maldita.es.
What industry is Maldita.es in?
Maldita.es's product category is Digital Fact-Checking Journalism. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAAAOAA, Brand Safety, Monitoring & Social Listening, with a secondary code of MPAJACAC, Compliance & Risk Intelligence Publishing (KYC/AML, ESG, Cyber, Privacy). Its NAICS code is 51929.