Albania’s prime minister said on Saturday the government will shut down the video service TikTok for one year, blaming it for inciting violence and bullying, especially among children.
Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents following the stabbing death of a teenager in mid-November by another teen after a quarrel that started on TikTok.
Prime Minister Edi Rama, speaking at a meeting with teachers and parents, said TikTok “would be fully closed for all … There will be no TikTok in the Republic of Albania”. Rama said the shutdown would begin sometime next year.
It was not immediately clear if TikTok has a contact in Albania. The company did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.
Albanian children comprise the largest group of TikTok users in the country, according to domestic researchers.
There has been increasing concern from Albanian parents after reports of children taking knives and other objects to school to use in quarrels or cases of bullying promoted by stories they see on TikTok.
