Following the death of a 14-year-old, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama decided to block TikTok in the country. The ban was announced on December 21st and will come into force in the coming weeks.
In Albania TikTok will be blocked for a year. The ban, however, is different from other bans that have been applied in various patchy countries. In fact, the decision arises from a news story. A 14-year-old boy was killed in November. He would have died following an argument that started on social media, and the case has become a starting point for think about the influence of social media and the risks for users.
The decision, explained Edi Rama, came after long discussions with parents and teachers. The Albanian Prime Minister announced the ban on December 21, 2024, it will come into force in the next few weeks. According to opponents, however, the ban is not a strategy to protect citizens but rather one form of repression after a year of popular unrest.
The decision to block TikTok
According to Rama on Douyin, the version of the app used in China “you don’t see videos and content related to violence, bullying, crime”, the international version of the app instead hosts harmful content.
Albania decides to block TikTok for a year after the death of a boy
“The problem today is not our children, the problem today is usthe problem today is our society, the problem today is TikTok and all the other social networks that are taking overn hold our children hostage”, added Rama. In addition to the ban, the Albanian prime minister said the government will fund new programs to educate children and parents.
Criticisms against the ban in Albania
Not everyone agrees with Rama’s decision. “It’s a dictatorial move Shutting down the social media platform TikTok… is a serious act against freedom of speech and democracy,” he explained Ina Zhupa, spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Albania. “It is a pure electoral act and an abuse of power to suppress freedoms.”
The move also raised concerns among civil rights activists. Orkidea Xhaferajof the Tirana-based think tank SCiDEV, explained to Reuters that the ban “sets a dangerous precedent”. According to this logic “at any time governments can shut down several platforms”.
TikTok is investigating the case for clarify. The platform’s spokesperson said: “We found no evidence that the perpetrator or victim had an account on TikTok.” He added: “Multiple reports have actually confirmed that the videos leading up to this incident have been released on another platformnot on TikTok.”
