Albania shuts down TikTok for one year over youth violence concerns
Albania's cabinet voted to ban TikTok for 12 months, citing concerns that the platform incites violence and bullying among children. The decision followed reports of a teen stabbing another to death in November 2024 after a dispute that allegedly started on TikTok, though TikTok disputed that either user had accounts on its platform.
What happened
The Albanian Cabinet decided on Thursday, March 6, 2025, to shut down TikTok for 12 months, blaming the platform for inciting violence and bullying, especially among children.
The Cabinet's decision followed a November 2024 stabbing incident in which a teenager died after a quarrel that reportedly started on TikTok. Authorities conducted 1,300 meetings with approximately 65,000 parents, who reportedly recommended or favored shutting down or limiting TikTok. Education Minister Ogerta Manastirliu said officials are in contact with TikTok about installing parental controls, age verification, and Albanian language support.
TikTok disputed the connection to the stabbing, stating it had 'found no evidence that the perpetrator or victim had TikTok accounts' and that videos leading up to the incident were posted on another platform.
Reported impact
Albanian children comprise the largest group of TikTok users in the country. Parents have expressed concern that children were inspired by content on social media to bring knives to school and that bullying on TikTok affected children.
Authorities increased police presence at some schools and established training programs for teachers, students, and parents in response to concerns about social media-driven violence.
Index analysis
The ban reflects concerns about TikTok's content moderation and recommendation systems' role in promoting or amplifying violent and bullying content accessible to minors in Albania.
Governance controls
Prime Minister Edi Rama said the government was in 'positive dialogue' with TikTok and that the company would visit to offer 'a series of measures on increasing the security for children.' Education officials negotiated on installing filters including parental controls and age verification.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.