Albania has announced a one-year ban on the short video app TikTok following the killing of a teenager, which has raised concerns about the influence of social media on children.
The ban, aimed at making schools safer, will take effect early next year, according to prime minister Edi Rama, who met with parents’ groups and teachers nationwide.
Rama said: “For one year, we’ll be completely shutting it down for everyone. There will be no TikTok in Albania.
The decision follows the stabbing death of a 14-year-old schoolboy last month by a fellow pupil, reportedly after social media arguments.
Local media reported that videos supporting the killing emerged on TikTok, prompting further alarm.
Rama has criticised social media, particularly TikTok, for inciting violence among youth both in and outside school settings.
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By GlobalData“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 that are taking our children hostage,” he said.
Commenting on the development, TikTok said it was seeking “urgent clarity” from the Albanian Government.
A company spokesperson said: “We found no evidence that the perpetrator or victim had TikTok accounts, and multiple reports have in fact confirmed videos leading up to this incident were being posted on another platform, not TikTok.”
Known for its endless scroll of short videos, TikTok attracts a young audience and boasts more than one billion active users worldwide.
The platform has also been accused of espionage in the US and is under investigation by the European Union for allegedly influencing Romania’s presidential election in favour of a far-right candidate.
Several European countries, including France, Germany, and Belgium, have implemented restrictions on social media use for children.
Australia has approved a complete social media ban for children under 16 years, one of the world’s stringent regulations targeting Big Tech firms.