The Albanian government has decided to ban TikTok for 12 months, citing concerns about violence and bullying among children. The move follows a tragic incident in November when a teenager was fatally stabbed after a dispute that reportedly began on the social media platform.
On Thursday, Education Minister Ogerta Manastirliu announced that officials had held 1,300 meetings with 65,000 parents, many of whom supported restrictions or a complete ban on TikTok. The government had engaged in discussions with TikTok about implementing safety measures, such as parental controls, age verification, and language support for Albanian users.
Prime Minister Edi Rama stated that the government remains in “positive dialogue” with TikTok, which has promised to propose measures aimed at enhancing child safety. The company, however, denied any connection between the platform and the fatal incident, stating there was no evidence the victim or perpetrator had TikTok accounts.
Concerns over social media’s impact on children have been rising in Albania, with reports suggesting that some students have brought knives to school after being influenced by online content. Authorities have responded by increasing police presence at schools and launching educational programmes for students, teachers, and parents.
The opposition has strongly criticised the TikTok ban, calling it an attack on free speech. A protest is planned for March 15 against what they describe as government overreach.
Globally, TikTok faces growing scrutiny. The UK is investigating the app’s data practices for underage users, and the U.S. recently took steps towards banning the platform unless its Chinese parent company divests ownership.
