Albania has introduced a one-year ban on TikTok following the killing of an adolescent final month that raised fears over the affect of social media on youngsters.
Edi Rama, the prime minister, confirmed the ban, a part of a broader plan to make colleges safer, after assembly with mother and father’ teams and lecturers from throughout the nation.
“For one 12 months, we’ll be fully shutting it down for everybody. There will likely be no TikTok in Albania,” Rama mentioned.
TikTok didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark exterior regular enterprise hours.
A number of European international locations together with France, Germany and Belgium have enforced restrictions on social media use for youngsters. In one of many world’s hardest rules focusing on huge tech, Australia accredited in November an entire social media ban for youngsters below 16.
Rama has blamed social media, and TikTok specifically, for fuelling violence amongst youths in and out of doors college. His authorities’s resolution comes after a 14-year-old schoolboy was stabbed to demise in November by a fellow pupil.
Native media had reported that the incident got here after arguments between the 2 boys on social media. Movies had additionally emerged on TikTok of younger folks supporting the killing.
“The issue right this moment is just not our kids, the issue right this moment is us, the issue right this moment is our society, the issue right this moment is TikTok and all of the others which are taking our kids hostage,” Rama mentioned.
The ban is predicted to come back into impact early subsequent 12 months.
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