Albania’s Prime Minister has announced plans to block access to TikTok for one year following the tragic killing of a schoolboy last month. The move comes after concerns were raised about the influence of social media on children. The Prime Minister described TikTok as “the thug of the neighborhood” and vowed to implement educational programs for students and parents instead.
The decision to block TikTok was made after a 14-year-old student was killed in a fight near a school in Tirana, which stemmed from a confrontation on social media. The incident sparked a nationwide debate on the impact of social networks on young people.
TikTok is already banned in several countries, including India, Iran, Nepal, Afghanistan, and Somalia. The app is also facing challenges in the US, where a law has been passed that could ban the app unless it is sold by its Chinese parent company, ByteDance. The US Supreme Court is set to hear legal arguments from TikTok regarding the ban.
Several European countries have imposed restrictions on social media use for children, with Australia passing some of the world’s strictest measures to ban children under 16 from using social media. The UK is also considering similar measures for under-16s.
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Kaynak: www.bbc.com
Albania’s prime minister has announced the government intends to block access to TikTok for one year after the killing of a schoolboy last month raised fears about the influence of social media on children.
Speaking on Saturday Edi Rama declared the proposed ban would start in January.
TikTok said it is seeking urgent clarifications from the Albanian government about the proposed ban.
The social media platform told the BBC it had found no evidence the person who allegedly stabbed the 14-year-old boy, or the victim himself, had TikTok accounts.
During a meeting in Albania’s capital Tirana with teachers, parents and psychologists Rama branded TikTok as “the thug of the neighbourhood”.
“We are going to close it for a year and we are going to start rolling out programs that will serve the education of students and help parents follow their children’s journey,” Rama said.
The blocking of TikTok comes less than a month after the 14-year-old student was killed and another injured in a fight near a school in southern Tirana which had its roots in a confrontation on social media.
The killing sparked a debate in Albania among parents, psychologists and educational institutions about the impact of social networks on young people.
“In China, TikTok promotes how students can take courses, how to protect nature, how to keep traditions, but on the TikTok outside China we see only scum and mud. Why do we need this?”, Rama said.
TikTok is already banned in India, which was one of the app’s largest markets before it was outlawed in June 2020. It is also blocked in Iran, Nepal, Afghanistan and Somalia.
TikTok is also fighting against a law passed by the US Congress which would ban the app from 19 January unless it is sold by ByteDance – its Chinese parent company.
The US government is taking action against the app because of what it says are its links to the Chinese state – links which TikTok and ByteDance have denied.
Several European countries including France, Germany and Belgium have enforced restrictions on social media use for children.
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