Albania bans TikTok for a year after teen was killed

Albania bans TikTok for a year after teen was killed


Tirana
Reuters

Albania announced on Saturday a year-long ban on TikTok, the popular short-video app, after a teenager was killed last month, raising fears about the influence of social media on children.

The ban, part of a broader plan to make schools safer, will come into effect early next year, Prime Minister Edi Rama said after a meeting with parent groups and teachers from across the country.

“We will completely close it to everyone for a year. There will be no TikTok in Albania,” Rama said.

Several European countries, including France, Germany and Belgium, have introduced restrictions on social media use for children. As part of one of the world’s strictest regulations against Big Tech, Australia approved a total social media ban on children under 16 in November.

Rama blames social media, particularly TikTok, for fueling violence among youth in and out of school.

His government’s decision came after a 14-year-old student was stabbed by a classmate in November. Local media had reported that the incident stemmed from arguments between the two boys on social media. Videos of minors supporting the murder also appeared on TikTok.

“The problem today is not our children, the problem today is us, the problem today is our society, the problem today is TikTok and all the others who are taking our children hostage,” Rama said.

TikTok said it was “urgently seeking clarity” from the Albanian government.

“We found no evidence that the perpetrator or victim had TikTok accounts, and in fact, multiple reports have confirmed that videos leading to this incident were posted on another platform and not TikTok,” a company spokesperson said .

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