Sky News Australia has left TikTok amid security concerns, as several other Western governments ban use of the app.
According to an article published on their website, Sky News said the security risks posed by the platform were too great for any publisher.
“TikTok is a spy network masquerading as a social media platform which has been proven to illegally pilfer the data of journalists, public citizens and politicians,” Sky News digital editor Jack Houghton wrote.
“We urge [media organizations] to consider this dilemma and stop trading security and integrity for a few worthless views,” he added.
Also Read: UK Government Takes a Swipe at TikTok, Bans App on Official Phones
There is still no evidence that the Chinese government is spying on people through Tiktok, however there is potential for the app to be used as foreign intelligence.
The United States and other Western nations have banned the app on government devices, with the Biden administration threatening to go further by imposing a broader ban unless TikTok’s Chinese owners sell their stakes in the company.
Before it deleted its account, Houghton said Sky News Australia had 65,000 followers and “many millions of video views.”
Sky News Australia is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp (NWSA) and is a separate entity to UK broadcaster Sky News, which is owned by Sky Group, a division of US conglomerate Comcast (CCZ).