The government’s decision comes after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death by a classmate following a social media fight.Albania has announced a ban on TikTok for one year after the killing of a teenager last month raised concerns over the influence of social media on children.
The ban of the popular video app will come into effect early next year, Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Saturday after meeting 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 said.
There was no immediate comment from TikTok.
The Albanian government’s decision comes after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death in November by a classmate after arguments between the two boys began on social media. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the stabbing.
Rama has blamed TikTok in particular for fuelling violence among youth in and outside school.
Videos had emerged on the app of minors supporting the killing.
“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. Advertisement
The prime minister said Albania would see 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’ …