by WorldTribune Staff, December 23, 2024 Real World News
France, Germany, and Belgium are among several European countries to enact restrictions on social media use for children.
Albania is the latest to join that trend as the nation has banned TikTok for one year following the stabbing death of a 14-year-old by another teen reportedly following an argument between the two on social media.
“For one year, we’ll be completely shutting it down for everyone. There will be no TikTok in Albania,” Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Saturday.
Rama made the announcement after 1,300 meetings with parents’ groups and teachers from across the country and following reports that videos had emerged on TikTok of minors supporting the killing.
“The problem today is not our children, the problem today is us, the problem today is our society, the problem today is TikTok and all the others that are taking our children hostage,” Rama said.
A spokesperson for TikTok said the company is seeking “urgent clarity” from the Albanian government.
Rama responded: “The ban on TikTok for 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.”
In May of this year, the European Union opened a formal investigation into Facebook and Instagram on suspicion the platforms owned by Meta are causing addictive behavior in children.
The European Commission, the EU’s tech regulator, said it suspected the platforms’ systems “may stimulate behavioral addictions in children.” Another issue the commission raised is the so-called “rabbit hole” effect – which occurs when users are fed related content based on an algorithm, in some cases leading to more dangerous content.
“We are not convinced that it has done enough to comply with the DSA obligations to mitigate the risks of negative effects to the physical and mental health of young Europeans,” the EU’s internal market commissioner, Thierry Breton, said of Meta. “We are sparing no effort to protect our children.”
The DSA is the Digital Services Act, which has strict rules to protect children and ensure their privacy and security online. The EU said it fears Meta might not be doing enough to tackle these obligations.
The commission is also worried that Meta’s age-verification tools may not be “proportionate and effective.”
In one of the world’s toughest regulations targeting Big Tech, Australia last month approved a complete social media ban for children under 16.
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Trending in Europe: Social media ban for children added by Editor Two on December 23, 2024
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