Albania joins a growing list of countries banning or Germanytemporarily 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."
SEE ALSO: Which countries have banned TikTok?This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.
In addition to the ban, Rama said the government will introduce new programs to 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 children. No further details were provided at the time.
Other countries are exploring stricter laws intended to safeguard minors from social media platforms broadly, working these issues into larger claims for digital and national security. Countries across North America, Europe, and Asia have instituted varying restrictions on TikTok. The U.S. TikTok divestiture requirement, a de facto ban, is set to go into effect on Jan. 19, and is currently set to be appealed in the Supreme Court, with TikTok and others claiming its a violation of free speech. In May, a bipartisan group of legislators introduced a bill that would prohibit social media use for people 13 years and younger.
In November, Australia passed an outright ban on social media use for children under 16 years of age, placing the onus of keeping said users off platforms on social media companies themselves. The ban will apply to Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, and YouTube, among others. The U.K. is currently debating a similar social media ban.
Experts, however, are mixed on whether social media bans are the way forward. A major report out of the nonprofit National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine declined to recommend banning platforms, arguing current research into social media's connection to negative mental health outcomes isn't robust enough to suggest a direct cause-and-effect relationship. Instead, the committee argues, legislators should explore strong industry standards and transparency.
Topics Social Good TikTok Politics
NYT Connections hints and answers for February 5: Tips to solve 'Connections' #605.
Mark Zuckerberg, win this war with Elon Musk's Twitter
The enduring art of apologizing from the floor
Twiggy and the Gang by Yona Zeldis McDonough
SpaceX will try to achieve 2 impressive feats on Monday
The Pink Stuff cleaner review: the TikTok product lives up to the hype
14 text message pranks to play on your unsuspecting friends
DoorDash can now deliver COVID
Best earbuds deal; Save $50 on the JBL Tune Flex
What We’re Loving: Great Teachers, Great Books, Giant Wigs by The Paris Review
Biggest Tech Fads of the Last Decade
Fitbit partners with Tile to help you find your fitness tracker
'Wanderlove' is this summer's dating trend, Bumble says
C. S. Lewis Reviews The Hobbit
Best Amazon deal: The DJI Power 1000 is just $549
The Price of the Ticket by M.J. Moore
No, you don't need a guide to meditate
Wordle today: Here's the answer and hints for July 20
Amazon Spring Sale 2025: The Eufy robot vacuum stick vacuum combo is on sale for the first time
December by Sadie Stein
All I want for Christmas is this gay as hell nativity sceneDavid Karp and all Tumblr employees use Gmail instead of Yahoo Mail'The Walking Dead' crossover: Lennie James' Morgan is moving to 'Fear'MashReads interview: R.J. Palacio talks 'Wonder' and kindnessBitcoin's price is now $11,000Man arrested for dropping antiRidley Scott defends recasting Kevin SpaceyAll I want for Christmas is this gay as hell nativity sceneMashReads interview: R.J. Palacio talks 'Wonder' and kindnessEvan Spiegel defends algorithms, criticizes Facebook in a new opThe first reactions to Steven Spielberg's 'The Post' are glowingThe most adorable revelations from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's first interviewYou can now purchase NASA's Golden Record to play in your own homePeople can't stop laughing at Thanos in the 'Infinity War' trailerMacOS High Sierra vulnerability publicly disclosed weeks agoJustice League v The Flash: Ezra Miller and Grant Gustin are both greatJustice League v The Flash: Ezra Miller and Grant Gustin are both greatDMX is coming for Mariah Carey's Christmas throne with a 'Rudolph the RedApple explains how to fix macOS High Sierra security vulnerabilityDavid Karp and all Tumblr employees use Gmail instead of Yahoo Mail Wordle today: Here's the answer, hints for October 5 Rhaenyra straight up gaslights a continent to nab 'House of the Dragon' MVP At long last, Welding Twitter gets its moment in the sun A video ranking Fritos, Doritos, Cheetos, and Lay's chips is dividing the internet Google Pixel event livestream: How and when to watch live 10 ways you can show off your favorite tweets in the real world Try not to laugh at these really funny tweets from this week Google Tensor G2 chip announced at 2022 Made by Google event How to avoid getting scammed on Zelle Roger Stone's very lame Instagram meme may soon land him in jail 'Plan With Me' videos will inspire you to get your life together Twitter didn't like the 'Horizon Zero Dawn' PlayStation 5 remake rumors 11 best autofill texting games for when you're so bored you could cry Hurricane Ian's victims need your help. Here's where you can send assistance. Why people leave a space before punctuation in texts Everyone's joking about the 'old fashioned' ways they got into college Queen Elizabeth II posts her first ever Instagram post and it's pretty special Pornhub reveals what women are searching in honor of International Women's Day Watch Hillary Clinton answer a cute FaceTime call from her grandchildren during an event Instagram's thirst memes can open up healthy conversations about sex