Albania to Ban TikTok for a Year Over Concerns about Influencing Children’s Behavior
TIRANA, ALBANIA – Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has announced a one-year ban on popular short video app TikTok, citing concerns about its influence on children and teenagers. The decision was made following the recent stabbing death of a 14-year-old schoolboy who had argued with his assailant on social media. Several videos had been shared on TikTok from children allegedly supporting the killing, and Rama blamed the social media platform, among others, for “taking our children hostage”.
According to Rama, the government will completely shut down TikTok in Albania from next year, following discussions with parents’ groups and teachers from across the country. The ban is part of a broader plan to make schools safer.
European countries, including France, Germany, and Belgium, have imposed restrictions on social media use for children, and in November, Australia passed legislation prohibiting social media companies from targeting children with algorithms or tracking their data for ad targeting.
In a statement, TikTok responded that it was seeking “urgent clarity” from the Albanian government. The company pointed out that there was no evidence to suggest the perpetrator or victim had TikTok accounts and that other social media platforms, not TikTok, had posted videos related to the incident.
