In response to a fatal school incident, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has announced a one-year ban on TikTok, set to begin in early 2025.
The move comes after a violent altercation in a Tirana school that left a 14-year-old student dead and another injured, with investigations revealing the conflict stemmed from social media disputes.
Speaking at a meeting with teachers, parents, and psychologists in Tirana, Rama criticized TikTok as a “neighborhood thug” and vowed to “kick this thug out of our neighborhood for a year.”
The Prime Minister also contrasted TikTok’s operations in China with its international content: “In China, TikTok promotes how students can attend courses, protect nature, and preserve traditions, but outside China, all we see on TikTok is garbage and filth. Why do we need this?”
To mitigate the impact of the ban, the Albanian government plans to introduce programs aimed at educating students and helping parents monitor their children’s activities.
The tragedy has sparked nationwide debate about the influence of social media on Albanian youth, with parents, psychologists, and educational institutions calling for stricter regulation to protect young users.
