Following the fatal stabbing of a teenager last month, Albania announced on December 21 a one-year nationwide ban on TikTok, the popular short-video app owned by China’s ByteDance, citing concerns about the app’s influence on children.
Following talks with parents and educators, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama confirmed that the ban will go into effect early next year.
The TikTok ban is also a component of larger initiatives to improve Albanian school safety.
Following the death of a 14-year-old schoolboy who was fatally stabbed by a fellow student in November, the Albanian government made this decision. According to local media, social media arguments preceded the incident, and TikTok videos appeared that showed children endorsing the violence.
Social media sites have come under fire from Prime Minister Rama for fueling youth violence both inside and outside of educational institutions. “The problem today is not our children; the problem today is us, our society, and TikTok, along with all the others that are taking our children hostage,” he stated.
TikTok said it was requesting “urgent clarity” from Albanian authorities in response to the ban.
Albania’s one-year ban on TikTok comes after several European nations, including France, Germany, and Belgium, have implemented similar measures to limit children’s access to social media. Australia enacted one of the most stringent laws in the world in November, prohibiting anyone under the age of sixteen from using social media. Citing national security concerns, Canada ordered TikTok to close its Canadian operations that same month.
