He Albanian Prime Minister Edi Ramaannounced this Saturday that the government intends to block access to the popular social network TikTokafter the murder of a teenager. The crime, which occurred last month, began to raise fears about the influence of social media on children.
According to Rama, The veto on the application would begin in January and, in contrast, from TikTok they assured that they are asking for urgent clarifications from the Albanian government about the proposed ban.
In addition, the politician met with teachers, parents and psychologists in the capital Tirana, where he described the social network owned by the Chinese group ByteDance as “the neighborhood bully”. There, he declared: “We are going to close it for a year and we are going to begin implementing programs that will serve the education of students and help parents follow the path of their children”.
TikTok blocking occurs less than a month after a 14-year-old student was killed and another was injured in a fight near a school in the south of Tirana that had its roots in a confrontation on social networks.
“In China, TikTok promotes how students can take courses, how to protect nature, how to maintain traditions, but on TikTok outside of China we only see slag and mud. Why do we need this?” Rama added.
Other prohibitions and the conflict in the United States
In relation to this topic, it is worth remembering that TikTok It is already banned in Indiawhich was one of the app’s largest marketplaces before it was outlawed in June 2020. It is also blocked on Iran, Nepal, Afghanistan and Somalia.
TikTok is also fighting a law passed by the United States Congress which would ban the app starting in January unless it is sold by ByteDance, its Chinese parent company. From the social network they are waiting for a new nod from Donald Trump.
The deadline established by law for ByteDancethe China-based owner of TikTok, divests is the January 19the day before Trump’s inauguration. But the company has challenged the ban as unconstitutional, and even if TikTok doesn’t win, litigation could postpone issue until Trump’s second termwhich would give him more room for maneuver. In addition, ByteDance recognized months ago that a Trump victory was its best chance to retain control of TikTok.
The law, called Protecting Americans from Controlled Applications by Foreign Adversaries Actgives the president the power to extend the divestment deadline by 90 days if the government sees that they have been achieved ”significant progress” towards a sale. If the deadline comes after Trump takes office and he wants to stop the ban outright, Trump could pressure Congress to repeal the law or encourage his attorney general to refrain from enforcing it, according to Alan Rosenshteinformer national security advisor at the Department of Justice.
If Trump tries to stop the ban, it would mark a significant policy shift for an incoming president who has spared virtually no opportunity to attack China. Toward the end of his first term, Trump presided over a federal investigation into ByteDance that also sought to orchestrate the sale of the popular social network.
Source: Ambito
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