Albania banned TikTok for one year. The decision was made on Saturday (December 21) amid concerns about the impact of social media on children following the death of a teenager last month. The British newspaper The Guardian reported this news.
The country’s Prime Minister Edi Rama said the move was taken to make educational institutions safer. The ban was confirmed after discussions with parents and teachers from different parts of the country.
Rama said: We will stop TikTok completely for a year. Albania will not have TikTok.
There was no comment from TikTok on this matter.
Several European countries, such as France, Germany and Belgium, have imposed restrictions on children’s use of social media. Earlier, Australia agreed to impose a complete ban on social media for those under the age of 16 in November.
Rama blamed social media including TikTok, saying they were inciting violence among young people.
The government came to this conclusion after the murder of a 14-year-old schoolboy. Last November, the student was stabbed to death by a colleague.
According to local media, the murder occurred due to a quarrel between them on social media.
The ban is expected to take effect early next year.