Prime Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, has revealed that it will ban TikTok for one year after a schoolboy was killed by his family, raising further alarm on social media use by children. The government announced plans to ban TikTok beginning in January, indicating rising anxiety over the app’s effect on young minds.
Rama made the announcement Saturday at a meeting in Tirana with parents, teachers, and psychologists. He criticized the content of TikTok saying it was “the thug of the neighborhood” and branded its material “scum and mud.” At the same time, he emphasized how the platform looked completely different from its original version in China, stressing education and traditional values.
Albania announces one-year ban on TikTok after a teen boy was stabbed to death
The move comes amid a fatal clash near a southern Tirana school. A 14-year-old boy has been stabbed to death in the fight, and another pupil was injured, reportedly after some arguments began on social media. While TikTok states it has no connection between the incident and its network, the tragedy has already ignited debates in Albania again on the dangers of social networks for children.
“We will close it for a year,” Rama stated, adding that the government would implement programs to educate students and help parents guide their children’s online activities.
TikTok responded to the announcement, telling the BBC that it found no evidence connecting the suspect or victim to TikTok accounts. The platform is seeking clarification from Albanian authorities regarding the planned ban.
Which countries have banned TikTok? Check out the complete list
Albania, in its decision, joins other countries that have restricted access to social media. India has banned TikTok, just like Iran and several other nations. The app is even under scrutiny in the US, where Congress has a deadline of January 19 for ByteDance to sell the platform, it being the Chinese parent firm of TikTok.
The Albanian government’s bold step has underlined an intensifying global debate on balancing technological freedom with child safety in the digital age.
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