The USA might be banning TikTok, one of the most used platforms in the country, in the near future.

They took a step closer to banning TikTok on March 13, 2024, when the House of Representatives passed a measure requiring the app’s Chinese creator, ByteDance, to divest from the firm or be removed from US app stores.

The Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, commonly known as the TikTok Ban Bill, passed with strong bipartisan support, with 352 votes in favor and just 65 opposed. The Act was transferred to the Senate, where it must be passed before being delivered to the White House. 

If the White House signs it, the measure becomes law, and TikTok will be unavailable in the United States. Since then, there has been a lot of backlash from the citizens on social media platforms. 

Many have been vocal about condemning the ban, including the controversial social media star, James Charles. 

Following the passage of the bill banning TikTok in the House of Representatives, Charles has publicly criticized the hypocrisy of the American political system. He claimed that the bill’s quick passage is a stinging illustration of how politicians’ priorities have been flipped upside down. 

After the House approved the measure, he quickly pointed out that legislators had more pressing issues to address than TikTok. He said, “We are starving. People are dying. People are in jail for marijuana [expletive] charges. We are in a war that we should not be in the first place. And TikTok is our most pressing concern? I don’t think so.”

Charles expressed his dissatisfaction with how quickly the TikTok ban is going through Congress, yet other vital measures can become bogged down for years in the gears of the US political engine.

“[It’s] a test to our political system that that bill was introduced like, what, five minutes ago? And it was passed this morning, and now it’s already going to the Senate, whereas there are already all sorts of bills that take weeks, months, years and never get anything done to them,” he pointed out. “It goes to show when someone wants something done it can be done.”

James Charles. (Source: Instagram)

Many agreed with Charles, claiming that even though they did not agree with his actions, they shared the same sentiment regarding the possibility of the TikTok Ban Bill. They praised him for raising an important issue but, at the same time, noted that they would not forgive his past behavior.

Charles’ ability as a makeup artist propelled him to become one of YouTube’s most prominent beauty and fashion experts. However, he lost fan support following a conflict with a former colleague, Tati Westbrook, who publicly accused Charles of attempting to attract a straight mine while being aware of his sexuality in 2019.

In 2021, Charles made news for all the wrong reasons as a 16-year-old boy accused the influencer of mailing him nude photos. The YouTuber also reportedly urged the child to send him explicit texts. 

While Charles denied the accusations and claimed to be unaware of the boy’s age, more underage boys came forward with similar accusations and shared screenshots of their alleged conversations online. Later, he claimed that he only texted two of them because he was desperate to be in a relationship. 

Since then, Charles has lost a majority of his followers, costing him business deals and even demonetizing his channel for a time.