The government has sentenced a 14-year-old boy to death by his classmate following a fight that took place on the social network.
Albania has announced a one-year ban on TikTok after the killing of a teenager last month raised concerns about the impact of social media on children.
The ban on the popular movie program will begin early next year, Prime Minister Edi Rama said on Saturday after meeting with groups of parents and teachers from across the country.
“For one year, we will be turning everyone off. There won't be TikTok in Albania,” said Rama.
There was no immediate comment from TikTok.
The Albanian government's decision comes after a 14-year-old boy was killed in November by a classmate after an argument between the two boys started on social media. Albanian authorities held 1,300 meetings with teachers and parents after the injection.
Rama has criticized TikTok in particular for encouraging violence among young people in school and outside.
Videos appeared on the program of children who help to kill.
“The problem these days is not our children. The problem today is us. The problem today is our society. The problem today is TikTok and others who are taking our children,” said Rama.
The Prime Minister said that Albania will see how the company and other countries are doing during the one-year suspension before deciding to allow the company to resume operations.
Critics are rejecting the government's decision to ban the program.
“The brutal decision to shut down the TikTok website … is a serious violation of freedom of expression and democracy,” said Ina Zhupa, a lawmaker from the opposition Democratic Party.
“It is a real election and an abuse of power to suppress freedom.”
Several European countries, including France, Germany and Belgium, have introduced restrictions on children's television use.
In one of the toughest laws in the world, Australia adopted it in November total media ban for children under 16 years of age.
TikTok has also faced espionage charges in the United States and is being investigated by the European Union for allegedly being used to influence the Romanian presidential election in favor of a right-wing candidate.
TikTok attracts young people especially with its seemingly endless scrolls and has more than one billion users worldwide.