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Albania is the third country, after the U.S. and Romania, that wants to ban TikTok!Prime Minister Edi Rama announced in late December that he would “block TikTok for one year.” His decision was fueled by outrage over the fatal stabbing of a 14-year-old in November following a series of arguments the teen had on social media. After the stabbing, videos surfaced on TikTok showing young people expressing support for the killing.
The decision is based on a “very disturbing pattern” on TikTok, Rama told POLITICO in written comments — and taps into growing concerns about how social media impacts the mental health and safety of youngsters.
But the incoming ban has raised eyebrows among opposition politicians and human rights watchers.
“It’s a pure electoral act and [an] abuse of power to suppress freedom of speech in Albania,” said Ina Zhupa, an Albanian opposition MP.
A European Commission spokesperson said in a statement that the EU executive had “taken note” of Albania’s plan to block TikTok and called it “a sovereign decision.”
“In the EU,” the statement stressed, “any ban of digital services can be considered as a last resort and in relation to an infringement of the transparency and accountability obligations of the law, not in response to individual issues and pieces of online content.”
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https://www.politico.eu/article/albania-tiktok-ban-rule-of-law-edi-rama-free-speech/