Albania closes TikTok for a year over child violence concerns

(CLO) The Albanian government has decided to ban the video- sharing platform TikTok for 12 months, citing the app's incitement to violence and bullying, especially among children.

On Thursday, the Albanian Cabinet approved a decision to close TikTok for a year.Education Minister Ogerta Manastirliu said the move was in response to rising violence and bullying on the platform, especially among young people.

Albania closes TikTok for a year over concerns about violence against children. Photo: X

Minister Manastirliu also revealed that the Albanian authorities are working with TikTok to implement measures such as parental controls, age verification and adding the Albanian language to the app.

The decision follows a heartbreaking incident last November, when a teenager stabbed a fellow student to death after an argument sparked by TikTok, which sparked outrage in Albania and prompted the government to take action.

According to Minister Manastirliu, Albanian authorities have held 1,300 meetings with about 65,000 parents, and the majority of them are in favor of closing or restricting TikTok.

TikTok has not yet made an official comment on Albania’s decision. However, last December, when Prime Minister Edi Rama first mentioned the platform’s closure, TikTok asked Albania to clarify information about the teenager’s stabbing.

The company said it found no evidence that the perpetrator or victim had a TikTok account, and stressed that videos related to the incident were posted on another platform.

Prime Minister Rama said on Thursday that the government was maintaining “active dialogue” with TikTok, and that the company would send a delegation to Albania to propose “a series of measures to strengthen child protection.”

Albanian children are the largest TikTok users in the country, according to researchers, and parents have recently expressed concern that their children are exposed to violent content on social media, even bringing knives to school or engaging in bullying.

To address the problem, authorities have increased police presence at some schools and launched training programs for teachers, students and parents.

Cao Phong (according to CNN, BBC)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/albania-dong-cua-tiktok-trong-mot-nam-vi-lo-ngai-ve-bao-luc-o-tre-em-post337448.html