Three Albanian organisations have filed a case with the Constitutional Court, asking it to overturn the government's one-year ban on TikTok. 

The Association of Journalists of Albania, BIRN Albania and the Centre for Legal Empowerment argue that the ban violates freedom of expression and digital rights.

“We believe that the decision to shut down TikTok jeopardizes the essence of freedom of expression,” said a statement published by the Association of Journalists of Albania on Facebook. 

"This decision opens the way for the closure of other social networks and the restriction of citizens' access to the Internet, so we strongly believe that the Constitutional Court will not legitimize this action, on the contrary democracy in Albania has serious problems," it added.

Critics, including opposition parties and media freedom groups, say the ban is excessive and politically motivated, especially with national elections approaching in May. Protests against the decision took place in Tirana on March 15.

The Science and Innovation for Development Centre (SCiDEV) in Albania also criticised the ban in a working paper in which it argued that the interruption of access to TikTok restricts freedom of expression.

"The ... decision of the Council of Ministers to impose a 12-month nationwide ban on TikTok has elicited legitimate concerns from different groups of society. While Albania joins other countries in scrutinizing social media’s impact, it stands alone in Europe in enforcing a blanket TikTok ban," said a statement on the SCiDEV Facebook page. 

Despite the ban, TikTok remains widely popular in Albania, with 1.53mn users over the age of 18 — more than half of the country’s 2.4mn people.