Albania has announced a one-year ban on the short video app, following the killing of a teenager that raised fears over the influence of social media on children. The move heightens uncertainty about TikTok's future.
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00:00Every evening, Ergos Katiage uploads a video on TikTok, reminding customers that his shop
00:10in Tirana delivers potato chips, cigarettes and beer throughout the night.
00:16His phone is blowing up with orders that add a thousand euros to his monthly profits.
00:24Banning TikTok will have a huge impact on me because I go live at 11pm and I say,
00:29hello, how was your day? I'm starting deliveries now, who wants to order cigarettes, beer,
00:34potato chips, I'll bring them to you. I regret the ban because I've invested a lot in marketing
00:39this way. But there are negative examples from TikTok. And maybe the Prime Minister
00:45is right. Those things need to be eliminated.
00:54Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the ban last month, after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed
00:58to death in November by a fellow pupil, a crime that local media reports said occurred
01:03after the boys clashed online. TikTok is slated to be taken down in the coming weeks.
01:13In China's version of TikTok, you don't see hooliganism, perversity, violence, bullying,
01:20crime, knives, swords, guns. Euros or dollars, none of this. While in TikTok outside of China,
01:32there are only scumbags and scoundrels. Why do we need that here?
01:42Critics of the ban and the opposition say it's a political gesture ahead of May elections.
01:46They say the ban threatens commerce and free speech. Albania saw violent protests last
01:51year against the jailing of political opponents.
01:58One of the dangers of the ban is that it may interfere with digital rights and freedom
02:02of expression. This also creates a dangerous precedent that at any moment governments can
02:07close different platforms.
02:15The move follows stringent controls or bans in at least 20 countries, due to worries about
02:20improper videos or security concerns linked to the app's owner, China-based ByteDance,
02:26and its proximity to the Chinese government.
02:30Several European countries, including Germany, France and Belgium, have enforced restrictions
02:34on social media use for children. Australia recently implemented a complete ban for children
02:40under 16.
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