what’s new
Albania will introduce a one-year nationwide ban on TikTok, Prime Minister Edi Rama announced after meeting with parent groups and teachers.
The ban is part of a wider plan to increase school safety following a tragic incident involving teenage students.
Why it matters
The decision follows the death of a 14-year-old schoolboy who was stabbed to death by a classmate in November. Local media reported that the incident followed arguments between the two boys on social media, while videos of minors promoting the brutal killings appeared on TikTok.
According to local researchers, Albanian children represent the largest group of TikTok users in the country.
What to know
Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the November incident. The government has put in place protective measures including an increased police presence in schools, training programs and enhanced parental cooperation.
Several European countries, including France, Germany and Belgium, have already enforced restrictions on children’s use of social media. Australia recently passed one of the strictest regulations in the world, introducing a complete ban on social media for children under 16.
In the US, a federal appeals court unanimously upheld the ban earlier this month, finding that the government had a national security interest in regulating TikTok. The Supreme Court will hear arguments on January 10, with the ban taking effect on January 19, 2025 — one day before President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.
TikTok CEO Shou Chew met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago last week just hours after he asked the Supreme Court to intervene.
What people are saying
Prime Minister Edi Rama: “Today’s problem is not our children, today’s problem is us, today’s problem is TikTok and everyone else who is taking our children hostage.”
TikTok (December 6 statement): “The TikTok ban was concocted and enforced based on inaccurate, flawed, and hypothetical information, resulting in direct censorship of the American people. The TikTok ban, if not stopped, will silence the voices of over 170 million Americans.”
Ina Zhupa, Member of Parliament of the Democratic Party of Albania: “The dictatorial decision to shut down the social media platform TikTok… is a serious act against freedom of speech and democracy.”
President-elect Donald Trump: “I have a warm place in my heart for TikTok because I won the youth by 34 points and there are those who say that TikTok has something to do with it.”
What happens next
Albania will implement a ban on TikTok in early 2025. Authorities plan to monitor both the company’s response and that of other countries before making any further decisions.
In the US, the Supreme Court is facing a tight schedule with just days between oral arguments and the effective date of the ban.
Trump has suggested he might take a different approach to the application, though the details remain unclear. TikTok urged the court to block the ban to give the incoming administration time to make a decision.
