TikTok has backed out of a planned meeting with a U.S. congressional committee, according to the committee’s chair, Congressman John Moolenaar (R-MI). The meeting was set to take place this month and would have included TikTok’s chief security officer. Moolenaar said the company withdrew from the event to avoid being questioned about its child safety practices. This decision came just one day after Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, reached a major settlement with state attorneys general over similar issues. Moolenaar stated that TikTok had initially agreed to participate in the meeting after negotiations in "good faith." The meeting was intended to address concerns about the Chinese government’s potential access to American users’ data and the way TikTok’s algorithm operates. In a statement, Moolenaar said TikTok reversed its decision, claiming it wanted to avoid broader scrutiny of its child safety policies. However, he emphasized that the meeting was not primarily focused on child safety and that TikTok had not provided a clear reason for its withdrawal. The company has not yet responded to requests for comment. Moolenaar said the committee would try to reschedule the meeting. He reiterated the committee’s commitment to working with TikTok to ensure that its executives answer questions about the company’s operations and safety measures. These discussions are required under the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, a law that briefly banned TikTok from the U.S. before enforcement was delayed by former President Donald Trump. Ultimately, a deal was reached in January to restructure TikTok’s U.S. operations to address security concerns. Despite this restructuring, lawmakers continue to have concerns about TikTok’s ties to the Chinese government and how its platform handles user data. After the deal was finalized, Moolenaar stated that TikTok would need to directly answer questions about Chinese influence on the algorithm and data protection to the committee. The current withdrawal has raised questions about the company’s willingness to engage with U.S. lawmakers on these issues.