The decision of the Eastern European country comes after a 14-year-old boy suffered a fatal incident in November, with reports suggesting the tragedy was linked to disputes that began online, Reuters reports. Prime Minister Edi Rama blamed TikTok and similar platforms for contributing to a culture of violence among youth.
It was Prime Minister Edi Rama who announced that Albania would impose a one-year ban on TikTok, emphasizing that the platform would be entirely inaccessible in the country during this period.
The decision followed discussions with educators and parents, during which Rama characterized the situation as a societal failure. He criticized social media, particularly TikTok, for its detrimental influence on children, describing it as a force that has effectively taken the younger generation “hostage”.
The ban aligns Albania with other nations imposing stringent controls on social media for young users. France, Germany, and Belgium have introduced restrictions, while Australia recently implemented a complete ban for children under 16. However, TikTok has disputed Albania’s claims, saying they found no evidence linking the platform to the incident.
Meanwhile, TikTok’s future remains uncertain in the United States. President-elect Donald Trump recently signaled openness to allowing the app to continue operating for the time being, citing its role in his campaign’s success. According to him, the US could keep TikTok going “for at least a little while“.
Despite Trump’s comments, TikTok faces a potential ban if its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, does not divest ownership. US lawmakers and the Justice Department cite national security risks, alleging ties to the Chinese government, as I imagine you’ve heard about already. TikTok denies these claims, emphasizing its US-based operations and data storage. As the US Supreme Court prepares to hear ByteDance’s appeal, TikTok’s fate hangs in the balance: will the US go Albania’s way, or will there be a compromise?
