TIRANA (Reuters) – Albania on Saturday announced a one-year ban on TikTok, the popular short video app, after the killing of a teenager last month raised concerns about the impact 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 meeting with parent and teacher groups from across the country.
“For one year, we will completely close it to everyone,” Rama said. “There will be no TikTok in Albania.”
TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.
Several European countries, including France, Germany and Belgium, have imposed restrictions on children's social media use. In one of the world's toughest regulations targeting major technology companies, Australia agreed in November to impose a complete ban on social media for children under the age of 16.
Rama blamed social media, and TikTok in particular, for fueling violence among young people inside and outside of school.
His government's decision comes after a 14-year-old pupil was stabbed to death in November by another pupil. Local media reported that the incident came after a quarrel between the two boys on social media. Videos also appeared on TikTok of minors supporting the killing.
Rama said: “The problem today is not our children. The problem today is in us. The problem today is in our society. The problem today is TikTok and all the others who are taking our children hostage.”
