In a resounding announcement, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has just declared a total ban on TikTok in his country for a minimum period of one year from the start of 2025. This radical decision, a first in Europe, follows a drama involving teenagers and raises many questions about the impact of social networks on young people.
A decision motivated by tragic events
The trigger for this ban was the death of a 14-year-old boy, killed during a brawl near a school in Tirana after a conflict started on social networks. “TikTok is the neighborhood thug,” Edi Rama bluntly declared during a meeting with teachers and psychologists. The Albanian Prime Minister particularly points out the difference in treatment between the Chinese version of the application, which promotes education and traditions, and its international version which he describes as “dirt and mud”:
In China, TikTok presents how students can take classes, how to protect nature, how to preserve traditions, but on TikTok outside China we only see dirt and mud. Why do we need this?
To support this measure, the Albanian government plans to deploy educational programs aimed at better regulating the use of digital technology among young people and getting parents more involved in monitoring their children.
This ban is part of a broader context of distrust towards TikTok. Despite its phenomenal success with more than a billion active users and an average of 34 hours of monthly use on Android in 2024, the application is accumulating controversies. Note that on iOS, the usage time would be similar according to several studies, which shows the omnipresence of the application on all ecosystems, including that of Apple.
The application is subject to restrictions in several countries:
- Total ban in India since 2020
- Restrictions for teenagers in Australia
- US espionage charges with possible ban
- European Union investigation into possible interference in Romanian presidential election
On the App Store, TikTok remains one of the most downloaded apps despite these controversies, illustrating the paradox between popularity and growing concerns about its societal impact. The Chinese application remains the world’s leading social network, with more than a billion users worldwide, not including China. In short, Albania’s decision could inspire other countries, at least in Europe.
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