Albanian government’s TikTok ban sparks political battle with opposition

The Albanian government’s decision to suspend TikTok for one year, part of a broader package of measures aimed at improving school safety, has turned into a new political battleground. Despite initial support for the decision from parents and educators, the opposition Democratic Party (DP) has accused the government of ulterior motives, escalating tensions as both sides prepare for elections in May.

Why is this important: The TikTok ban came in the aftermath of a tragic incident where a teenager lost his life stabbed by a classmate. It reflects concerns about the platform’s potential harm to children and teenagers. However, the opposition claims the government’s true motive is to stifle their perceived success on TikTok, where they allege they dominate in reach and engagement. The political debate illustrates the challenges of balancing online safety with freedom of expression, particularly during an election season.

Context: Responding to a demand from TikTok for an explanation, Prime Minister Edi Rama justified the ban in a statement on X, asserting that the decision followed extensive consultations with parent councils across the country. Rama emphasized the government’s responsibility to protect children from the dangers posed by social media algorithms, describing the ban as a necessary step.

“The ban on TikTok for (at least) one year in Albania is not a rushed reaction to a single incident, but a carefully considered decision made in consultation with parent communities in schools across the country.

TikTok has no grounds to demand clarifications from Albania because, in Albania, it is Albanians who make the decisions, not the owners of TikTok’s algorithm. While Albania may be too small to demand that TikTok protects children and youth from the frightening pitfalls of its algorithm, we sincerely hope TikTok will take this step for the benefit of humanity, including Albania.

To claim that the killing of the teenage boy has no connection to TikTok because the conflict didn’t originate on the platform demonstrates a failure to grasp both the seriousness of the threat TikTok poses to children and youth today and the rationale behind our decision to take responsibility for addressing this threat.

Thankfully, Albania is a democratic country where, when over 90% of parents demand the banning of TikTok, and the overwhelming majority believe that the health and well-being of our children should not serve the platform, but rather that the platform should serve the health and well-being of our children, our decision couldn’t be clearer:

Either TikTok protects the children of Albania, or Albania will protect its children from TikTok.”

Opposition response: The DP has seized on the TikTok ban as an opportunity to challenge the government, claiming it is motivated by a desire to curb their influence on social media. Former Prime Minister Sali Berisha accused Rama of targeting TikTok because of the platform’s alleged popularity with the opposition, which, according to Berisha, cannot be censored like traditional media.

Berisha stated, “TikTok is not the platform of hooliganism that Edi Rama pretends it to be. The real reason behind the ban is his fear of the opposition’s success on TikTok, which overturns his pyramid of lies based on manipulated media and polls.”

Berisha also promised young Albanians that the first act of a DP-led government would be to lift the TikTok ban and restore what he called “freedom of speech.” He criticized the government for consulting parents who, he argued, are not the platform’s primary users, instead of directly engaging with young people.

What’s this about: While the government insists the ban is rooted in safety concerns, particularly after consultations with parents following a tragic school-related incident, the opposition’s accusations have sparked debate. TikTok’s popularity among young Albanians adds a layer of complexity to the issue, as some see the move as potentially alienating youth voters.

However, the DP’s claim that the ban stems from their TikTok performance seems tenuous, especially given the Socialist Party’s significant polling advantage months ahead of the election. For now, the opposition appears to be using the issue to galvanize its base and appeal to young voters, positioning itself as a defender of digital freedoms.