China-based TikTok to be banned in Albania!

Albania has decided to ban the popular short-form video platform TikTok for a year due to its negative effects on young people. The ban will come into effect in early 2025 as part of a broad plan to increase safety, especially in schools.
“THERE WILL BE NO TIKTOK IN ALBANIA”
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, after holding meetings with parent groups and teachers, drew attention to the effects of social media on children and said, “We will completely close TikTok for a year. There will be no TikTok in Albania.” Rama stated that TikTok has a negative effect on young people in particular.
BACKGROUND TO THE TIKTOK BAN
This decision was made following a murder at a school in November. According to local media reports, the murder occurred as a result of an argument that started on TikTok. What is even more worrying is that minors who supported the murder shared videos on TikTok.
The Albanian government has taken a number of measures to ensure safety in schools. These measures include increasing the police presence, organizing awareness programs for students, and working more closely with parents.
Albanian Prime Minister Rama emphasized the importance of managing the effects of social media, saying, “The problem today is not our children; it is us, our society.”
It was previously revealed that the Chinese company ByteDance, which owns the app, shared users’ personal data with the Chinese government and collected data from people without permission. All institutions of the European Union (EU), the United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Australia, Belgium, Denmark, the United States, India, Pakistan, Somalia, Kyrgyzstan, and Taiwan have passed laws banning TikTok.