Albania announces one-year TikTok ban [Video]

Albania joins a growing list of countries banning or temporarily blocking TikTok, with the state declaring a one-year prohibition of the platform.

The decision comes after nationwide protest and government unrest following the November murder of a 14-year-old boy by one of his classmates, who subsequently shared images of the aftermath on Snapchat. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has claimed that social media, but most specifically TikTok, is fostering increasing violence among youth in the country. “TikTok will not exist in the Republic of Albania,” said Rama. “TikTok is the thug of the neighborhood. We are going to chase this thug out of our neighborhood for one year.”

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In addition to the ban, Rama said the government will introduce new programsto educate children and support parents — the country’s leader had been meeting with teachers, students, parents, and psychologists over the last month to address growing fear about social media and …