Albania will ban the popular short-video app TikTok for one year starting January 2025 following concerns over social media’s harmful influence on youth after a teenager’s death last month.
Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the decision during a meeting with parents and teachers, stating, “For one year, we’ll be completely shutting it down for everyone. There will be no TikTok in Albania.”
The ban comes after the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old male student, allegedly by another student, which reportedly stemmed from a social media dispute. Local reports revealed that the suspect and victim had a heated argument online before the incident.
Adding to the controversy, videos surfaced on TikTok showing minors expressing support for the killing, further fueling public outrage.
Prime Minister Rama criticized social media platforms, particularly TikTok, for inciting violence among the youth, both inside and outside schools.
“The problem today is not our children. The problem today is us, our society, TikTok, and all the others that are taking our children hostage,” Rama said.
In response, TikTok expressed its intention to seek clarification from the Albanian government, arguing that there is no evidence linking the incident to its platform.
“We found no evidence that the perpetrator or victim had TikTok accounts, and multiple reports have confirmed that videos leading up to this incident were posted on another platform, not TikTok,” a TikTok spokesperson said.
Before Albania’s decision, countries like France, Germany, and Belgium had already imposed social media restrictions for children. Recently, Australia approved a complete social media ban for individuals under 16, marking one of the strictest regulations targeting Big Tech.
