The VPN Era in Albania/ How the TikTok ban is "failing", video views are increasing

On March 13, 2025, the Albanian government imposed a one-year ban on access to TikTok, citing concerns over cybersecurity and the negative impact of harmful content on young people.

However, this ban has proven to be ineffective, as Albanian users have found ways to bypass it, mainly through the use of virtual private networks (VPNs).

Despite efforts to block the platform, TikTok remains extremely popular in Albania. According to data from parent company ByteDance, at the end of 2024, the app had 1.53 million users over the age of 18 in a country with a population of 2.4 million.

Recent analysis shows that the ban has had minimal impact on platform usage. According to a report by Pikasa Analytics, only a 3.3% drop in posts was observed after the ban, while video views increased by 14% compared to the week before the ban.

After the TikTok ban, VPN usage in Albania has seen a tremendous increase. According to ProtonVPN, usage of their service increased by 1200% on the first day of the ban, and this trend continues to grow. Currently in Albania, on the Appstore, VPNs are the third most downloaded app of the last month, after ChatGPT and Temu.

Keishliii, one of the most popular TikTok influencers in Albania, has maintained a steady presence on the platform. With over 134,000 followers and an engagement rate of 5.80%, she continues to attract a wide audience. Her posts average 101,200 views and 4,700 likes, indicating continued interest from her followers despite the ban.

Another popular content creator is Hatixhe Brika, known as Hati, who has seen her following increase by 30% since the beginning of the year. She currently has 512.5 thousand followers and has a total of 32 million likes since starting to use the platform.

But what does this show?

According to technology expert Tomi Kallanxhi, the ban on TikTok in Albania has shown that in the digital age, efforts to limit access to popular platforms can be ineffective and bring unforeseen consequences.

“The increase in the use of VPNs and the continued use of TikTok suggest that citizens are willing to find ways to circumvent restrictions,” he says.

Kallanxhi points out that for many users, the ban became an incentive to learn new technologies. “There are cases when users, looking for ways to restore access to TikTok, learned to use VPNs, change network settings or install other protective applications. This in itself is a form of digital education.”

According to him, TikTok's success is due to the fact that the platform's algorithm is extremely engaging and manages to understand and serve content according to each user's preferences in an almost perfect way. This is why TikTok is increasingly replacing YouTube for Generation Z.

“Today, about 67% of young people of this age in Albania use TikTok more than YouTube,” Kallanxhi notes.

“I don’t see this phenomenon as a concern, but as an advantage,” he adds. “It’s an opportunity to understand where the attention of the younger generation goes and how it can be channeled towards quality content, rather than struggling with technical bans that don’t work.”

Why does TikTok remain so popular?

The answer is simple: TikTok is not just an app for short videos. It has become a platform for entertainment, information, commerce, and even activism. Its personalized algorithm, speed in spreading content, and ability to reach wide audiences make it a powerful tool.

In Albania, TikTok has become an important window for influencers, artists, small businesses and the political opposition. The latter has publicly expressed dissatisfaction with the decision, calling it a politically motivated act to limit voices against the government, especially in the run-up to elections./ MONITOR