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Saudi Arabia, Japan Reach Strategic Partnership to Develop Digital Economy

The Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Japan’s Digital Agency have signed a memorandum of understanding concerning digital economy.
The Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Japan’s Digital Agency have signed a memorandum of understanding concerning digital economy.
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Saudi Arabia, Japan Reach Strategic Partnership to Develop Digital Economy

The Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Japan’s Digital Agency have signed a memorandum of understanding concerning digital economy.
The Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Japan’s Digital Agency have signed a memorandum of understanding concerning digital economy.

The Saudi Ministry of Communications and Information Technology and Japan’s Digital Agency have signed a memorandum of understanding concerning digital economy, developing digital government and accelerating the adoption of modern technologies, reported the Saudi Press Agency on Wednesday.

The agreement was reached during the visit headed by Minister of Communications and Information Technology Eng. Abdullah Al-Swaha to Japan to boost partnership in the fields of technology, innovation and space.

Under its terms, the two countries will cooperate to promote and support government digital services, including digital platforms, e-signatures and documentation, build capacity and share knowledge.

The two sides will also cooperate in research and innovation, establishing research teams to develop digital government services and exchange best practices and policies that enable the use of emerging technologies in businesses and improve customer experience.

The memorandum was signed by Al-Swaha and Japanese Minister for Digital Transformation Kono Taro; several officials from both sides attended the signing ceremony.

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Albania Bans TikTok for a Year after Killing of Teenager

A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. (AP)
A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. (AP)
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Albania Bans TikTok for a Year after Killing of Teenager

A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. (AP)
A view of the TikTok app logo, in Tokyo, Japan, Sept. 28, 2020. (AP)

Albania on Saturday announced a one-year ban on TikTok, the popular short video app, following the killing of a teenager last month that raised fears over the influence of social media on children.

The ban, part of a broader plan to make schools safer, will come into effect early next year, Prime Minister Edi Rama said after meeting with parents' groups and teachers from across the country.

"For one year, we'll be completely shutting it down for everyone. There will be no TikTok in Albania," Rama said.

TikTok did not immediately respond to a request for comment outside normal business hours.

Several European countries including France, Germany and Belgium have enforced restrictions on social media use for children. In one of the world's toughest regulations targeting Big Tech, Australia approved in November a complete social media ban for children under 16.

Rama has blamed social media, and TikTok in particular, for fueling violence among youth in and outside school.

His government's decision comes after a 14-year-old schoolboy was stabbed to death in November by a fellow pupil. Local media had reported that the incident followed arguments between the two boys on social media. Videos had also emerged on TikTok of minors supporting the killing.

"The problem today is not our children, the problem today is us, the problem today is our society, the problem today is TikTok and all the others that are taking our children hostage," Rama said.