Almost everywhere, the social network TikTok is increasingly in the sights of governments. Accused of espionage in the United States, at the heart of an investigation after suspicions of interference in the elections in Romania, the Chinese platform is targeted by partial or total bans. Albania has therefore decided to block the application for a year. The Prime Minister criticizes the algorithm for encouraging violence among young people. But the measure is not unanimous.
Wrapped up in his down jacket, with his hood on his head, Amarildo, 17, waits for friends at the exit of his high school located in the center of Tirana, capital ofAlbania. With his eyes glued to the screen of his smartphone, this final year student scrolls through videos of cars and street scenes:
“ That’s it, that’s it TikTok. It’s the network that we young people use the most. There, you receive likes, views. There, I received 63 000. There it is 2 000, it depends on the video and how viral it goes, how many people watch it. We put music on with the video and I show where I am and what I’m doing with my friends. »
At the end of December, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama announced the closure of the famous Chinese platform for one year. A decision which comes a few weeks after a 14-year-old student was stabbed to death near a school in the capital.
Violent or inappropriate content, suspicions of Chinese interference… More than 20 countries around the world have already prohibits or limits access to TikTok. In Albania, the Prime Minister claims to have made the decision after a series of consultations with parents and the school administration. Mimi Kodhelli, deputy of the socialist majority and president of the Foreign Affairs Committee, states:
“ TikTok is an unfiltered communication tool. It makes scenes of violence accessible to young people who become part of their education. Families urged us to find a way to block minors’ access to TikTok in particular. »
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A ban that divides, in society and in politics
Since its announcement, this ban – which is due to begin at the start of the year, on a date still unknown – has fueled controversies within Albanian society. Many entrepreneurs who advertise on TikTok fear loss of income. For their part, the opposition parties accuse the government of hindering freedom of speech. Especially since important parliamentary elections will take place in the spring. Reddy Muchi is one of the activists of the Ensemble movement, a left-wing party which denounces authoritarianism and the social consequences of Edi Rama’s liberal policies:
“ Legislative elections are taking place on May 11, and this is certainly one of the reasons why the Prime Minister chose exactly this moment to ban one of the social networks most used by the Albanian public, and a very important platform for a young party like us. This is pure and simple censorship. The Prime Minister controls the traditional media. It can manipulate other networks like Facebook or Instagram and there he chooses to block the only one over which he has no influence. »
While the ban on TikTok should come into force in the coming weeks, the government assures that this blockage should only last a year. Time to find a technical solution to prevent its use by those under 18.
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