• Albania has announced a one-year ban on TikTok following a teenager's death, sparking concerns over social media's influence on children.
• The ban is part of a broader plan to enhance school safety, according to Prime Minister Edi Rama.
• The decision comes after a 14-year-old schoolboy was stabbed to death by a fellow pupil, with videos emerging on TikTok of minors supporting the killing.
• In response to the ban, TikTok is seeking "urgent clarity" from the Albanian government, stating it found no evidence that either the perpetrator or the victim had TikTok accounts.

In a significant move, Albania has announced a one-year ban on the popular short video app, TikTok, following the tragic killing of a teenager last month. The incident has sparked concerns over the influence of social media on children and the potential for it to incite violence. The ban, which is part of a broader plan to enhance school safety, will come into effect early next year, according to Prime Minister Edi Rama.

The decision was made after extensive meetings with parents' groups and teachers from across the country. For one year, we'll be completely shutting it down for everyone. There will be no TikTok in Albania, Rama declared. This move is not unprecedented, as several European countries, including France, Germany, and Belgium, have enforced restrictions on social media use for children.

In a similar vein, Australia approved a complete social media ban for children under 16 in November, marking one of the world's toughest regulations targeting Big Tech.

TikTok Ban: A Response to Tragic Incident

The Albanian government's decision comes in the wake of a horrific incident where a 14-year-old schoolboy was stabbed to death by a fellow pupil. Local media reported that the incident followed arguments between the two boys on social media. Disturbingly, videos emerged on TikTok of minors supporting the killing.

Prime Minister Rama has been vocal in his criticism of social media, blaming platforms like TikTok for fuelling violence among youth both in and outside school. The problem today is not our children, the problem today is us, the problem today is our society, the problem today is TikTok and all the others that are taking our children hostage, Rama said.

In response to the ban, TikTok said it was seeking urgent clarity from the Albanian government. The company stated that it found no evidence that either the perpetrator or the victim had TikTok accounts. Furthermore, it claimed that multiple reports confirmed videos leading up to the incident were posted on another platform, not TikTok.

Impact and Reactions to the Ban

In addition to the TikTok ban, Albanian authorities have increased police presence and instituted closer cooperation with parents as part of a series of protective measures at schools. The government also plans to launch programs to serve the education of students and help parents follow their children's journey, Rama added.

The fatal incident has sparked a debate in the country among parents, psychologists, and educational institutions about the impact of social networks on young people. The platform, which attracts young people with a never-ending scroll of ultra-brief videos, has more than one billion active users worldwide.

Neighboring countries such as Kosovo, North Macedonia, and Serbia have also reported a negative impact of the platform, especially on the youth. At least 22 cases of self-harm among girls from different schools reported two months ago in Kosovo, in the south-western city of Gjakova, were blamed on a TikTok challenge. Two weeks ago, local media in North Macedonia reported that hospitals there had treated dozens of teenagers for injuries sustained after attempting the " Superman " TikTok challenge.

However, the opposition has strongly opposed the ban. Ina Zhupa, a lawmaker from the main opposition Democratic Party, denounced the decision as an attack on democratic freedoms. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the stabbing death of a teenager in mid-November by another teen after a quarrel that started on TikTok. Rama said Albania would follow how the company and other countries react to the one-year shutdown before deciding whether to allow the company to resume operations in Albania.