Albania announces shutdown of TikTok for at least a year

Albania bans TikTok for one year to make schools safer, following concerns over social media's influence on children.

Albania on Saturday (December 21, 2024) announced a one-year ban on TikTok, the popular short video app, following the killing of a teenager last month that raised fears over the influence of social media on children.

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Prime Minister Edi Rama said after meeting with parents' groups and teachers from across the country that the ban, part of a broader plan to make schools safer, will come into effect early next year.

"For one year, we'll be completely shutting it down for everyone. There will be no TikTok in Albania," Mr. Rama said.

Several European countries including France, Germany and Belgium have enforced restrictions on social media use for children. In one of the world's toughest regulations targeting Big Tech, Australia approved in November a complete social media ban for children under 16.

Mr. Rama has blamed social media, and TikTok in particular, for fuelling violence among youth in and outside school.

His government's decision comes after a 14-year-old schoolboy was stabbed to death in November by a fellow pupil. Local media had reported that the incident followed arguments between the two boys on social media. Videos had also emerged on TikTok of minors supporting the killing.