The Albanian government has announced its decision to block social media platform, TikTok, for one year.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who disclosed this on Saturday, accused the company of having negative impacts on the country due to the contents made available to them.
Rama, who described TikTok as “the neighbourhood thug”, alleged that China, through the platform feeds her citizens with educative content while the rest of the world constantly gets violence and crime content on the platform.
The prime minister said TikTok will be blocked for a year and this will be done within 6-8 weeks.
According to him, during the period TikTok will be blocked, the platform will be monitored to make a final decision that would be final.
“TikTok is the neighbourhood thug, and we will shut down the neighbourhood thug for a year.
“We have meanwhile done all our research on the technology side and it will take us 6-8 weeks, starting early next year.
“And for one year of TikTok, we’re going to shut down TikTok completely. Then during this year, we will see how other countries will act, what restrictions will be imposed, and how TikTok itself will react because it is a company that has its roots in China, but if you look at it in China and outside it are two different ones.
‘TikTok’ in China promotes how students do well in lessons, how nature is preserved, how tradition is, etc. You don’t see street gangs, violence, bullying, crime, knives, swords, guns, euros, dollars on China’s ‘TikTok’. While in ‘TikTok’ outside of China, only dirt and garbage.
“We will drive this rascal out of the neighbourhood for a year and then we will see what the others will do”, Rama said.