HRA President Does Not Rule Out TikTok Restrictions in Armenia

The President of the Radio and Television Commission, Tigran Hakobyan, has stated that the issue concerning the public multiplex is not anti-Armenian propaganda, but rather certain programs reflect the norms prevailing in other countries. “What they promote may be normal for their government, political institutions, traditions, and cultures, but for us, they are unacceptable. That is just how it is,” he said, citing polygamy as an example. “I’m speaking theoretically, but let them not promote polygamy.”

Hakobyan also mentioned that hate speech and calls for violence are often generated outside the public multiplex. “When looking at the structure of television viewership, it becomes evident that young people hardly watch television,” he stated, adding, “They are influenced by TikToks, various websites, and YouTube channels. When we discussed the influence of criminal subculture, we noted that the film ‘Slovo patsana’ was not shown at all in Armenia—neither on the public multiplex nor on cable networks. Yet when you enter a school, high school students are talking in the slang used by the characters in the series. Where did they see that? In the field not regulated by the commission.”

According to Hakobyan, television viewership decreases by 5-7% every year. He noted that the most popular countries impose restrictions on TikTok. “If necessary, we can do it too.” He indicated, “It’s an expensive pleasure, but we need to consider limiting the influence of platforms with dangerous content on our society.”