TikTok ban enforced with DPI tech, Albania says data safe

Albania has deployed Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) technology to enforce its national TikTok ban, but cybersecurity officials insist the tools are for protection, not surveillance.

Seven DPI devices have been installed across internet and mobile providers to block access to the platform. Authorities say the technology also boosts national defences against cyberattacks.

“All internet traffic is encrypted. No one is reading messages or seeing who’s talking to whom,” said Igli Tafa, head of Albania’s National Cybersecurity Authority (AKSK).

The first phase of the TikTok ban targeted IPs and domains. Now, DPI identifies and blocks specific data packets linked to the app, said Adriano Lleshi, director of cybersecurity analysis at AKSK.

The system will remain in place for up to a year—until Albania reaches a deal with TikTok to introduce stricter filters against online abuse.

Officials say the focus is cybersecurity, not mass data collection, amid rising global concerns over digital privacy.