On March 13, 2025, the Albanian Government based on Albanian Council of Ministers recomandation imposed an one-year nationwide ban on TikTok, citing a growing concern over cyberbullying and youth violence. The decision followed a serious offline incident reportedly linked to social media use, reinforcing public pressure for institutional response. However, while the rationale presented was rooted in digital safety, the ban came amid rising political visibility of opposition voices on the platform—prompting deeper questions about the intersection of platform governance, political control, and generational discourse. 

Despite the government's attempt to restrict access, TikTok usage in Albania remained strong. Users quickly adapted through VPNs and other tools, leading to only a 3.3% drop in posts—but a notable 14% increase in video views compared to the previous week. This indicates that the ban was largely ineffective in reducing content consumption. While TikTok's ban didn’t significantly impact its viewership, it appears to have influenced user behavior on other platforms. Instagram saw a 16% increase in engagement the week following the ban, despite a slight drop in posting. This shift suggests some users redirected their attention and interaction toward Instagram content.

In the first quarter of 2025, 4 out of the 10 most-viewed political videos on TikTok featured opposition leaders. This surge in visibility may have contributed to increased political tension around the platform, raising questions about whether the ban was politically motivated.  

Methodology: This analysis was carried out by Pikasa Analytics, using a combination of platform-level data and engagement metrics across Albania for both TikTok and Instagram.

• TikTok Data:
  Aggregated from publicly available content performance metrics on TikTok in Albania, including post volume, view counts, and account-level statistics. Data was analyzed across two timeframes: the week before and the week after the TikTok ban
• Instagram Data:
  Engagement trends, including likes, comments, and shares, were monitored across key public pages in the same timeframe to observe shifts in audience behavior.