Albania’s Prime Minister clarified Sunday that the recently announced TikTok ban was not a hasty response to a single event but rather a well-considered measure.

On Saturday, Prime Minister Edi Rama declared that the government would block TikTok for one year, citing concerns over its role in promoting violence and bullying, particularly among minors.

Authorities have engaged in 1,300 discussions with educators and parents since a tragic incident in November, where a teenager was fatally stabbed by another teen following an argument that began on social media. Reports indicate that 90% of participants supported the ban.

Italy fines OpenAI for ChatGPT data privacy violations

“The one-year TikTok ban is not a knee-jerk reaction but a thoughtful decision reached through consultations with parents in schools nationwide,” Rama stated.

TikTok has since requested “urgent clarification” from the Albanian authorities regarding the teenager’s stabbing. The company maintained that neither the victim nor the perpetrator had TikTok accounts and asserted that videos linked to the incident had circulated on another platform.

Rama countered that dismissing TikTok’s connection to the tragedy overlooks the broader risks posed by the platform’s algorithms. “Albania may lack the leverage to compel TikTok to safeguard children, but we will not hesitate to shield our youth from its harmful effects,” he said. Rama accused the app of perpetuating hate speech, violence, and bullying.

Meta to build $10 billion AI data center in Louisiana as Elon Musk expands his Tennessee AI facility

Studies indicate that children constitute the majority of TikTok users in Albania, prompting rising parental concerns about reports of students bringing weapons to schools, allegedly influenced by TikTok content.

While many Albanian youths oppose the ban, viewing TikTok as a source of entertainment and self-expression, parents back the decision. “We either ensure TikTok protects Albanian children, or we protect them from TikTok,” Rama emphasized.