The government’s decision comes after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death by a classmate following a fight on social media.
Albania announced a one-year ban on TikTok after the killing of a teenager last month sparked growing concerns about social media’s impact on children.
A ban on the popular video app will come into effect early next year, Prime Minister Edi Rama said after a meeting with parent groups and teachers across the country on Saturday.
“For one year, we will be completely shutting down services for everyone. There will be no TikTok in Albania,” Rama said.
There was no immediate comment from TikTok.
The Albanian government’s decision comes after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death by a classmate in November after an argument between two boys began on social media. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the stabbing incident.
Lamar specifically accused TikTok of encouraging violence among youth both inside and outside of schools.
A video appeared on the app of a minor supporting murder.
“The problem today is not our children. The problem of today is us. The problem today is our society. The problem today is TikTok and everything else that holds our children hostage,” Rama said.
The prime minister said Albania would look at how the company and other countries react to the year-long lockdown before deciding whether to resume operations.
The opposition party rejected the government’s decision to ban the app.
“The dictatorial decision to shut down the social media platform TikTok is a serious act against freedom of expression and democracy,” said Ina Zhupa, a lawmaker from the main opposition Democratic Party.
“Suppressing freedom is a pure electoral act and an abuse of power.”
Several European countries, including France, Germany and Belgium, have restricted children’s use of social media.
Australia, which has one of the strictest regulations in the world, approved a total ban on social media for children under 16 last November.
TikTok also faces espionage charges in the United States and is under investigation by the European Union over claims it was used to sway Romania’s presidential election in favor of a far-right candidate.
TikTok is particularly appealing to young people with its seemingly endless scrolling of short videos, and has more than a billion active users worldwide.
