TikTok cancels congressional child safety testimony, cites Meta settlement concerns
TikTok backed out of a House Select Committee on China hearing after Meta's child safety settlement, claiming it could not answer questions on that topic.
What happened
TikTok cancelled its appearance before the House Select Committee on China on August 27, one day after Meta reached a settlement with state attorneys general over child safety practices. Committee Chair John Moolenaar (R-MI) said TikTok's chief security officer had been negotiated to testify in good faith about Chinese government data access and the TikTok algorithm. TikTok reversed course citing Meta's settlement, claiming it would be unable to answer child safety questions. Moolenaar stated the meeting was not intended to focus primarily on child safety, though the committee had planned broader scrutiny. Moolenaar said the committee would attempt to reschedule and work to ensure TikTok executives address questions before the end of the year.
Context
TikTok, Meta, and YouTube all face pending suits focused on child safety practices. The cancellation follows a longstanding congressional effort to oversee TikTok's operations under the Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which briefly banned TikTok before enforcement was repeatedly delayed and ultimately resolved through a January deal making TikTok's US service part of a new entity. Lawmakers retained concerns even after that deal closed, with Moolenaar previously stating TikTok would need to directly address the committee on Chinese government algorithm influence and US data protection.