Albania bans TikTok for a year after schoolboy's murder

Albania has banned TikTok for a year following the tragic death of a 14-year-old in November. The country's prime minister announced the ban, accusing the platform and others like it of promoting a culture of youth violence.

Here's What We Know

The Albanian government made the decision after a 14-year-old schoolboy was stabbed to death by a classmate in November. According to local media, the incident occurred after an argument between the two teenagers on social media. TikTok later posted videos of the minors cheering the killing.

The Albanian Prime Minister said that platforms such as TikTok promote negative content that can lead to aggressive behaviour among teenagers. The decision was made after discussions with educators and parents who expressed concern about the impact of social media on children. TikTok, for its part, said it found no evidence linking the platform to the incident and considers the ban unjustified.

The ban will come into effect early next year. Albania's decision follows tighter controls on social media in other European countries such as France, Germany and Belgium. Australia has also introduced a blanket ban on the use of social media by children under the age of 16. TikTok continues to remain in the spotlight as it tries to maintain its activity in the US, where it is also considering banning the platform.

Source: Reuters