Albanian Opposition Protests TikTok Ban, Citing Censorship Before Election

TikTok will be banned in Albania for 12 months starting March 13, as announced by Prime Minister Edi Rama on March 6. This decision follows a fatal school altercation linked to the platform. The Albanian government has instructed telecommunication providers to block TikTok's access along with its parent company ByteDance's IPs, requesting written confirmation of compliance. Opposition demonstrators in Tirana have accused the government of censorship in light of the upcoming May 11 elections, vocally advocating for democracy. In Tirana, a large group of Democratic supporters congregated, rallying for democracy and challenging the government's position on TikTok, holding the platform responsible for escalating youth violence.