Albanian PM says TikTok ban is a “carefully considered decision”

Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama defended his government’s decision to ban TikTok starting in early 2025, dismissing the platform’s request for clarification and stressing that the move was not a reaction to a single incident.

“This was a carefully considered decision made in consultation with parent communities in schools across the country,” Rama stated in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday. “TikTok has no grounds to demand clarifications from Albania because, in Albania, it is Albanians who make the decisions, not the owners of TikTok’s algorithm.”

The ban comes less than a month after a violent confrontation near a school in Tirana left a 14-year-old boy dead and another injured. Authorities linked the fight to an online confrontation that began on social media, sparking national debates on the impact of social networks on young people.

Although TikTok denied any direct connection to the incident, the platform’s spokesperson responded swiftly to the announcement, saying, “We are seeking urgent clarity from the Albanian government. With regards to the tragic incident referenced, we found no evidence that the perpetrator or victim had TikTok accounts, and reports suggest videos regarding these incidents were being posted on another platform, not TikTok.”

Rama rejected this defense, asserting that TikTok’s broader influence on youth could not be ignored. “To claim that the killing of the teenage boy has no connection to TikTok because the conflict didn’t originate on the platform demonstrates a failure to grasp both the seriousness of the threat TikTok poses to children and youth today,” he wrote.

As part of the initiative, the Albanian government also announced plans to launch education programs for students and parents to promote safe digital practices.