Albania bans TikTok for a year after school stabbing. social media news

The government’s decision comes after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death by a classmate following a fight over social media.

Albania has announced a one-year ban on TikTok after concerns grew over the impact of social media on children following the murder of a teenager last month.

The ban on the popular video app will come into effect early next year, Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Saturday after meeting with parent groups and teachers across the country.

“For a year, we will completely shut it down for everyone. There will be no TikTok in Albania,” Rama said.

There was no immediate comment from TikTok.

The decision by the Albanian government comes after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death by a classmate in November after an argument between the two boys started on social media. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents after the stabbings.

Rama has blamed TikTok for promoting violence among youth, especially inside and outside schools.

Videos of minors supporting murder had surfaced on the app.

“The problem today is not our children. Today we are the problem. The problem today is our society. The problem today is TikTok and all the others who are holding our children hostage,” Rama said.

The prime minister said Albania would watch how the company and other countries react to the one-year shutdown before deciding whether to allow the company to resume operations.

The opposition has rejected the government’s decision to ban the app.

Ina Zhupa, a lawmaker from the main opposition Democratic Party, said, “The dictatorial decision to shut down the social media platform TikTok… is a serious act against freedom of expression and democracy.”

“This is a pure electoral act and an abuse of power to suppress freedom.”

Several European countries, including France, Germany and Belgium, have implemented restrictions on social media use for children.

In one of the world’s toughest regulations, Australia in November approved a complete social media ban for children under 16.

TikTok has also faced espionage charges in the United States and is being investigated by the European Union over claims it was used to rig Romania’s presidential election in favor of a far-right candidate.

TikTok particularly attracts young people with its never-ending scroll of short videos and has more than a billion active users worldwide.