‘Agreeing with James Charles was not on my bucket list’: Controversial YouTuber James Charles’ comments about TikTok ban, explained

With the U.S. government pondering the fate of TikTok, it is only normal for those using it as an earning source to question the pending ban on the platform. But it didn’t necessarily predict controversial makeup artist and influencer, James Charles, aiming valid statements at the controversy.

Last week, the House voted to ban TikTok in the U.S. by a crushing majority of 352-65. The bill, named Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, quickly moved to the Senate, where it must get approved before being sent to the White House. If the White House signs it, the bill becomes law, and TikTok will no longer be available in U.S. territory.

While data security concerns justify the bill, the move has threatened the income of hundreds of influencers who use social media to reach their public. In addition, the almost 150 million U.S. TikTok users risk losing the connections and communities they built over the years. But that’s not what concerns Charles.

James Charles’ opinion on the TikTok controversy

Charles has openly spoken out about the hypocrisy of the U.S. political system after the bill to ban TikTok passed in the House of Representatives. To Charles, the speed at which the bill has been voted is also a bitter example of how politicians’ priorities have been turned upside down. After the House announced the bill’s approval, he was quick to point out that politicians have more significant problems to focus on other than TikTok.

“We are starving. People are dying. People are in jail for marijuana f**** 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.” 

That’s not the strongest argument against banning TikTok, as it’s the legislators’ job to watch over citizens’ data, and discussing TikTok doesn’t necessarily prevent the House from taking care of other urgent social issues. However, as Charles bluntly puts it, what angers him is how fast the TikTok ban is moving in Congress, while other necessary bills can get stuck for years in the gears of the U.S. political machine. In Charles’ words:

“[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’s already all sorts of bills that take weeks, months, years and never get anything done to them. (…) It goes to show when someone wants something done it can be done.”

Regardless of opinions concerning the ban on TikTok, it’s definitely infuriating to see how fast legislators can move on some occasions and how slowly they address some problems. It’s no wonder many people have voiced their agreement with Charles on social media, despite the controversies surrounding the beauty influencer.

But why are people uncomfortable to agree with James Charles?

Charles’ talent as a makeup artist led him to become one of the leading voices on YouTube regarding beauty and fashion. But he lost support from his audience after a feud with a former collaborator Tati Westbrook, who in 2019 publicly accused Charles of trying to seduce a heterosexual man while being aware of his sexuality.

In 2021, Charles was once again in the headlines for all the wrong reasons after a 16-year-old boy accused the influencer of sending him nudes. The YouTuber also allegedly pressured the boy to exchange sexual messages with him. While he denied the accusations and claimed to be unaware of the boy being a minor, more underaged boys came forward with similar accusations and shared screenshots of their alleged conversations online, causing Charles to lose business deals and even leading to YouTube demonetizing his channel for a while.