TikTok, the popular short form video app currently facing a behind ban in the US, will be banned from Albania for a year after the death of a 14-year-old. The country announced a one-year ban on the social media app over the weekend as part of a widespread plan to enhance safety in schools.
Reuters reports the one-year-ban follows the death of a 14-year-old student. The student was allegedly stabbed by another student following an argument between the two on social media, Reuters reported, and some students allegedly supported the murder on TikTok videos.
“The problem today is not our children,” Albania Prime Minister Edi Rama said, “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.”
A TikTok spokesperson refuted the claims and said that the company was unable to find evidence that the victor or accused even had TikTok accounts, noting that some reports said the videos were posted on another platform.
Rama said the decision to ban the app came from 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents and said that 90 percent of the parents approved the ban. “Our decision couldn’t be clearer: Either TikTok protects the children of Albania, or Albania will protect its children from TikTok,” the Prime Minister said.
The ban comes at the end of a tumultuous year for the social media platform, who also faces a potential ban in the U.S. beginning next month if a Supreme Court case doesn’t side with the China-based Byte Dance. Last month, Australia banned all social media apps for youth under age 16. In the EU, platforms were expected to reach full compliance of the Digital Services Act by February 2024, including additional protection for youth.
Last month, TikTok announced that it would remove beauty-enhancing filters for users under age 18 and label the content that used such filters for all users, following a study highlighting concerns over the impact of such filters on self-esteem.
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