Albanian Government Plans To Ban TikTok For One Year

Albania’s Prime Minister, Edi Rama, has announced plans to block TikTok for one year, following the tragic killing of a schoolboy last month, which raised concerns about the impact of social media on children. The proposed ban will begin in January.

TikTok responded, stating that it is seeking urgent clarification from the Albanian government about the reasons behind the ban. The platform also noted that it had found no evidence linking the 14-year-old victim or the alleged attacker to TikTok accounts.

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During a meeting in Tirana with teachers, parents, and psychologists, Rama referred to TikTok as “the thug of the neighbourhood,” and confirmed the government’s decision to block the platform for one year.

“We are going to close it for a year and we are going to start rolling out programs that will serve the education of students and help parents follow their children’s journey,” Rama said.

The move comes after the deadly fight near a school in southern Tirana, which resulted in the death of a 14-year-old boy and left another injured. The fight had reportedly stemmed from a confrontation on social media, igniting debates in Albania over the influence of digital platforms on youth.

Rama criticized the app, contrasting its content in China with what is available internationally. “In China, TikTok promotes how students can take courses, how to protect nature, how to keep traditions, but on the TikTok outside China we see only scum and mud. Why do we need this?”, Rama said.

TikTok has already been banned in several countries, including India, Iran, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Somalia. In the United States, a law passed by Congress mandates a potential ban by January 19 unless ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, sells the app.

The US Supreme Court is scheduled to hear TikTok’s legal arguments on January 10 to challenge the ban.

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Several European countries, including France, Germany, and Belgium, have imposed restrictions on social media use for children. In November, Australia introduced the world’s strictest measures, voting to ban children under 16 from using social media, with the ban expected to take at least a year to implement.

UK Technology Secretary Peter Kyle has indicated that a similar ban may be considered for children under 16, but only after further evidence is reviewed.

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