TikTok Banned by EU Hopeful
Albania has established a year-long ban on the TikTok video-sharing platform due to worries regarding the safety of children.. source:TROIB RTS
TroibNews 
Albania has announced a one-year ban on TikTok, citing concerns for children's safety, as stated by Education Minister Ogerta Manastirliu on Thursday. This decision arises from increasing worries about violence and bullying on the platform, especially among younger users.
The year-long suspension was initially proposed by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in late December, following the tragic fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old boy by a fellow student after a dispute that originated on social media. The ban is set to be implemented shortly.
On Thursday, Rama revealed that the decision to restrict access to TikTok came after engaging with approximately 65,000 parents, many of whom advocated for either a complete shutdown or limited access to the platform. He noted that the government is in a “positive dialogue with the company,” and representatives from TikTok are expected to visit Albania soon to present “a series of measures on increasing the security for children.”
Albanian officials are actively communicating with TikTok regarding the introduction of features to control children's access and curtail harmful content, according to Manastirliu, who commented on the decision.
The ban will remain enforced until TikTok establishes essential filters such as parental controls, age verification, and incorporates the Albanian language into its app.
When the concept of a ban was initially suggested in December, TikTok opposed the measure, requesting “urgent clarity from the Albanian government,” asserting that neither the victim nor the perpetrator in the stabbing incident had utilized the platform.
Albania has been a candidate for EU membership since 2009 and engaged in its first intergovernmental conference with the bloc in 2022 after being granted candidate status in 2014.
TikTok and its Chinese counterpart, Douyin, are products of ByteDance, a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. The platform's Chinese connections have drawn scrutiny from numerous Western governments.
Recently, the UK's data protection authority announced an investigation into the app's use of personal information from users aged 13 to 17 for content recommendations.
In the United States, efforts are underway to compel TikTok's parent company to divest its American operations over national security issues, with ByteDance facing a compliance deadline of April 5.
Additionally, the platform is under investigation in the EU concerning allegations of its involvement in a campaign supporting Romanian independent presidential candidate Calin Georgescu.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
The year-long suspension was initially proposed by Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama in late December, following the tragic fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old boy by a fellow student after a dispute that originated on social media. The ban is set to be implemented shortly.
On Thursday, Rama revealed that the decision to restrict access to TikTok came after engaging with approximately 65,000 parents, many of whom advocated for either a complete shutdown or limited access to the platform. He noted that the government is in a “positive dialogue with the company,” and representatives from TikTok are expected to visit Albania soon to present “a series of measures on increasing the security for children.”
Albanian officials are actively communicating with TikTok regarding the introduction of features to control children's access and curtail harmful content, according to Manastirliu, who commented on the decision.
The ban will remain enforced until TikTok establishes essential filters such as parental controls, age verification, and incorporates the Albanian language into its app.
When the concept of a ban was initially suggested in December, TikTok opposed the measure, requesting “urgent clarity from the Albanian government,” asserting that neither the victim nor the perpetrator in the stabbing incident had utilized the platform.
Albania has been a candidate for EU membership since 2009 and engaged in its first intergovernmental conference with the bloc in 2022 after being granted candidate status in 2014.
TikTok and its Chinese counterpart, Douyin, are products of ByteDance, a company incorporated in the Cayman Islands. The platform's Chinese connections have drawn scrutiny from numerous Western governments.
Recently, the UK's data protection authority announced an investigation into the app's use of personal information from users aged 13 to 17 for content recommendations.
In the United States, efforts are underway to compel TikTok's parent company to divest its American operations over national security issues, with ByteDance facing a compliance deadline of April 5.
Additionally, the platform is under investigation in the EU concerning allegations of its involvement in a campaign supporting Romanian independent presidential candidate Calin Georgescu.
Aarav Patel contributed to this report for TROIB News
