The government’s decision comes after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed by a classmate following an argument on social media.
Albania has announced a year-long ban on TikTok after the murder of a teenager last month raised concerns about the influence of social media on children.
The ban on the popular video app will come into force early next year, Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Saturday after a meeting with parent groups and teachers from across the country.
“We will completely close it to everyone for a year. There won’t be any TikTok in Albania,” said Rama.
There was no immediate comment from TikTok.
The Albanian government’s decision comes after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed by a classmate in November following arguments between the two boys on social media. After the stabbing, Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents.
Rama has particularly blamed TikTok for fueling violence among young people in and out of school.
Videos of minors supporting the murder appeared on the app.
“The problem today is not our children. The problem today is us. The problem today is our society. The problem today is TikTok and all the others who are taking our children hostage,” Rama said.
The prime minister said Albania would wait to see how the company and other countries react to the year-long closure before deciding whether to restart the company’s operations.
The opposition has rejected the government’s decision to ban the app.
“The dictatorial decision to close 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.
“It is a purely electoral act and an abuse of power to suppress freedoms.”
Several European countries, including France, Germany and Belgium, have introduced restrictions on social media use for children.
Australia approved one of the world’s strictest regulations in November a complete social media ban for children under 16 years.
TikTok has also been charged with espionage in the United States and is being investigated by the European Union over claims it was used to influence Romania’s presidential election in favor of a far-right candidate.
TikTok attracts young people in particular with its endless scrolling of short videos and has more than a billion active users worldwide.
