The announcement of the suspension of the platform, owned by the Chinese group ByteDance and which has one billion registered users worldwide, came less than a month after the death of a 14-year-old teenager, in a fight near a school in Tirana, after a conflict on social media.
The online platform TikTok will be blocked in Albania for at least a year, from the beginning of 2025, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced this Saturday, claiming that the application spreads “trash and mud”.
The announcement of the suspension of the platform, owned by the Chinese group ByteDance and which has one billion registered users worldwide, came less than a month after the death of a 14 year old teenager, in a fight near a school in Tirana, following a conflict on social media, recalls Agence France Presse (AFP).
The teenager’s death created a debate not countrywhich involved parents, psychologists and schoolsabout the impact of social networks on young people.
“TikTok is the neighborhood bandit. And we are going to expel it from our neighborhood for a year”, said Edi Rama, quoted by AFP, in a meeting with teachers, parents and psychologists.
At the same time, the Albanian government will initiate programs that “will serve students’ education and will help parents follow their children’s journey“.
TikTok’s impact: what do these countries say?
TikTok is particularly popular among young people around the world, attracted by the very short video formats that are presented continuously.
O Kosovo, North Macedonia and Serbiacountries neighboring Albania, have also highlighted the negative impact of TikTok, especially among young people.
In a city in the southwest of KosovoGjakova, registered at least two months ago 22 cases of self-harm among girls from different schoolsall linked to one challenge shared on TikTok.
Already North Macedonialocal media reported two weeks ago that dozens of teenagers were hospitalized in a short period of time with injuries sustained as a result of participating in the ‘Superman’ challenge‘, which consists of being thrown into the air by other young people.
The population of Novi Pazar, in the southwest of Serbiawas shocked when several cases of teenagers who participated in the ‘suffocation’ challenge in several secondary schools.
Em Francein early November, a collective of seven families took TikTok to court, accusing the platform of having exposed their children to content that could lead them to suicide.
Em Italy an investigation was opened in March 2023 against TikTok, suspected of not applying the “control rules”dangerous content that encourage suicide, self-harm and eating disorders”.
Nos USASeattle Public Schools officials filed a complaint against TikTok and other social networks in January 2023 for “attacks” on the mental health of young people.
Already Australia there is a law that prohibits the access for children under 16 years of age to social networksone of the most stringent measures in the world in this matter.
TikTok also accumulates other controversies. Recently, the European Commission opened an investigation due to suspicions of foreign interference in Romania’s presidential elections.
