After 50 years, the popular Happiness Nonya Cakes and Confectionery will be closing its doors. Lately, customers have had to queue up early in the morning so as to savour a last taste of their beloved kuehs before they sell out around 9am, Lianhe Zaobao reported on Aug 28. News of Happiness’ impending closure had
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A dangerous precedent? Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest stokes speech war
In the war for control of the internet, the potential significance of Telegram founder and CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest is difficult to overstate.
At the heart of French authorities’ case against the Russian-born billionaire is an enormously consequential question: are online platforms legally responsible for the speech of their users?
Prosecutors say Durov was detained as part of an investigation involving 12 criminal allegations, most of them related to “complicity” in serious crimes ranging from drug trafficking to the distribution of child sex abuse material.
While governments around the world have for years sought to exert greater control over online speech – cracking down on everything from racial hatred and internet bullying to “misinformation” about the COVID-19 pandemic – the arrest of a tech founder by a liberal democracy has few, if any, precedents.
Perhaps the closest parallel is the case of Facebook executive Diego Dzodan, who was arrested by Brazilian authorities in 2016 over the tech company’s alleged refusal to hand over WhatsApp messages related to a drug trafficking investigation.
Dzodan was released after nearly 24 hours in custody after a judge ruled that his detention was “extreme” and amounted to “unlawful coercion”.
The argument that tech companies should be held criminally liable for the activities of people who use their services is, at best, tendentious.
A less generous view would be that it is nonsensical.
Car companies, for example, are not considered responsible for drunk drivers or bank robbers using their vehicles to flee.
Many of the issues at the heart of the debate were in fact largely settled decades ago in the United States, the birthplace of the internet and the home of many of the world’s most influential platforms.
The Communications Decency Act, passed in 1996, provides broad immunity to internet providers for the content that they host out of a recognition that a free and open internet could not exist otherwise.
Others are sceptical that a hands-off approach to moderation is a reasonable excuse for avoiding responsibility.
Timothy Koskie, a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Media and Communications at the University of Sydney, said that moderation of one kind or another is fundamental to the existence of every platform.
“If I were to touch that analogy of the car, I would say the question is the extent to which the taxi driver is complicit in giving a ride to the bank robber,” Koskie said.
While other countries have less robust free speech protections than the US, even governments that have significantly tightened the reins on platforms have been forced to back down from more extreme proposals.
The European Union, which introduced comprehensive regulations to tackle online harm with the Digital Services Act in 2022, in June cancelled a vote on proposals to mass-scan encrypted messaging apps for child sex abuse material after critics likened the measures to George Orwell’s 1984.
Unsurprisingly, Durov’s arrest has sent a chill through the tech scene, where libertarian ideals about free speech and privacy are widely championed.
Many tech entrepreneurs and internet freedom advocates argue that Durov’s arrest sets a dangerous precedent and have called for his release under the hashtag #FreePavel.
Andy Yen, the founder of Switzerland-based email provider Proton Mail, described the criminal case as “insane” and suggested that tech founders may no longer be safe to travel to France.
“This is economic suicide and is rapidly and permanently changing the perception of founders and investors,” Yen said in a post on X.
Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski, whose video platform has positioned itself as an anti-censorship alternative to YouTube, said he had “safely departed” Europe.
“France has threatened Rumble, and now they have crossed a red line by arresting Telegram’s CEO, Pavel Durov, reportedly for not censoring speech,” Pavlovski said on X.
“Rumble will not stand for this behaviour and will use every legal means available to fight for freedom of expression, a universal human right.”
Some commentators have also questioned why Durov has been singled out when other platforms host harmful content.
X owner Elon Musk, who has called for Durov’s release, claimed that Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg had been able to avoid the glare of authorities because of his willingness to censor content and share users’ data.
While self-avowed libertarian Durov is on record as being suspicious of state control, the characterisation of him as a free speech warrior among a crowd of government lackeys sidesteps an important distinction between Telegram and other platforms.
Unlike WhatsApp and Signal, Telegram has access to most of the content shared by its users as it does not use end-to-end encryption by default.
That means that Telegram can share information with authorities to an extent that is not true for some of its competitors.
Potentially, that makes the platform an easier target for authorities frustrated over the tech sector’s perceived lack of cooperation with law enforcement.
Questions have also been raised about the geopolitical implications of the case against Durov, who left Russia in 2014 after refusing to silence opposition groups on the earlier VK social network.
In Russia, both allies and critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin have called for his release in a rare alignment between political foes.
The French government has sought to dispel any suggestion that Durov’s arrest is politically motivated or at odds with civil liberties.
“France is deeply committed to freedom of expression and communication, to innovation, and to the spirit of entrepreneurship. It will remain so,” French President Emmanuel Macron said on Monday.
The success or otherwise of those assurances may hinge on what happens next.
After a maximum of 96 hours in custody, Durov must either be charged or released on Wednesday.
Koskie said there are a lot of unknowns about the case and how “idiosyncratic” the underpinning legal theory may be.
“It could be that, within the investigation, there is a much more personal tie to the situation than exists at any other platform, in which case this organisation has simply crossed a line that no other platforms have, but the line was always there,” he said.
TMZ TV Hot Takes: Donald Trump, ‘Bachelorette’ Jenn Tran, Flau’jae Johnson
TMZ TV HOT TAKES
TRUMP THANKS BRITTANY MAHOMES
… Plus Jenn Tran, Flau’jae
Donald Trump is thanking Patrick Mahomes‘ wife, Jenn Tran is getting dumped, and Flau’jae Johnson is recruiting Adele … all this on today’s TMZ TV Hot Takes.
TMZ Live
TMZ.com
First up on “TMZ Live,” Harvey and Babcock break down the love fest between Trump and Brittany Mahomes.
TMZ on TV
TMZ.com
Meanwhile, over on “TMZ on TV,” our crew reacts to Jenn getting dumped on the ‘Bachelorette’ finale.
TMZ Sports
TMZSports.com
And on “TMZ Sports,” Michael and Mojo explain why Flau’jae wants to collab with Adele.
Check your local listings for when TMZ is on in your area or catch up on past episodes!
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5 Pro-Life Leaders Weigh In on Trump’s Abortion Comments
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Michael Foust
Crosswalk Headlines Contributor -
Updated
Sep 04, 2024
Republican nominee Donald Trump has stirred controversy and confusion over his position on abortion in recent days, leading the pro-life community to question not only what he believes but also to question how they should vote in the upcoming election.
The controversy began when he led the charge to remove pro-life language from the Republican platform. Around the same time, he said he would not block access to the abortion pill if elected. His running mate, J.D. Vance, followed that by saying Trump would not sign a national abortion ban. Trump also said he would require insurance companies to cover IVF and that his administration would be “great for women and their reproductive rights.”
Last week, Trump seemed to imply he would vote for a pro-choice Florida initiative, Amendment 4, before clarifying the next day and telling Fox News he would be voting “no” on the amendment.
The pro-life confusion comes just three years after Trump exited the White House as what many labeled the “most pro-life president in history,” having spoken in person at the March for Life — the first president in history to do so — and having nominated three Supreme Court justices who helped overturn Roe v. Wade.
Here is what five national pro-life leaders have said about Trump’s recent abortion comments.
Photo Credit: ©Getty Images/Bill Pugliano/Stringer
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1. Albert Mohler, President, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Slide 1 of 5
“Right up front, let me start with an honest admission,” Mohler wrote in a World Opinions column. “Put plainly, I have no idea what Donald J. Trump really believes about abortion. I follow that up with the honest guess that the former President also has little idea what he really believes about abortion. By his own description, his politics are transactional, and his basic political framework is a combination of personality and populism. In terms of the coming election, what matters most when it comes to abortion and a host of other issues is what a Trump administration would do as compared to a Kamala Harris administration. That, dear reader, is a much clearer picture.
“… It does seem that Trump at least understands that he cannot possibly win if pro-life voters sit this election out. Back to what Trump actually believes about abortion. I still have no confidence that I know. But I do know two things that loom large. The first is that a Harris win would mean we would have the most pro-abortion administration in American history. Even as Trump underlines his opposition to federal legislation on abortion, Harris demands a federal abortion rights bill — and such a bill would go far, far beyond Roe. Just look to Minnesota for confirmation. The second thing I know is that a Trump administration would be light-years more pro-life than a Harris administration in terms of policies, legislative moves, appointments, and nominations. That’s an honest assessment. In my view, this is only stating out loud what should be obvious to any honest observer.
“Pro-life voters do care what Donald Trump believes about abortion, but those same voters are far more concerned about what Trump would do in the Oval Office once again. He has precious few days to make that clear, knowing that the key question is not how many pro-abortion voters…
— Albert Mohler (@albertmohler) September 3, 2024
“… The bottom line is what a Trump administration would do compared to what a Harris administration will do when it comes to the defense of unborn life. We easily see a huge difference there, and it takes massive dishonesty to deny it. Sadly, dishonesty is all around us, and the media will exploit it.
“Trump recently commented that abortion is not ‘an issue that runs toward us.’ But he needs to remember that he cannot win without strong — very strong — pro-life support. The other side is not impressed with his equivocations on the issue, even as his base is endangered by any confusion. Pro-life voters do care what Donald Trump believes about abortion, but those same voters are far more concerned about what Trump would do in the Oval Office once again. He has precious few days to make that clear, knowing that the key question is not how many pro-abortion voters will vote against him but how many pro-life voters will vote for him.”
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Albert Mohler
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2. Tony Perkins, President, Family Research Council
Slide 2 of 5
“Voting no on Florida’s Amendment 4 is a good first step for President Trump to restore confidence with pro-life voters,” Perkins said on X (formerly Twitter).
“He runs the risk of de-energizing, de-motivating his base by moving away from an issue that has been and continues to be a prominent issue,” Perkins told CBS News. “Backing away from that fundamental issue that the party has championed for 45 years is a big deal.”
— Tony Perkins (@tperkins) August 31, 2024
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Agape Women’s Clinic
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3. Carol Tobias, President, National Right to Life
Slide 3 of 5
“Let’s be blunt. Donald Trump has said some things we don’t want to hear. Is he turning his back on the pro-life movement? I don’t think so,” Tobias wrote in a column for National Right to Life News Today. “He is a candidate who wants to get elected. He was a friend during his years in the White House, but I’m not sure anyone thought of him as a ‘member’ of the pro-life movement. He might be described as practical as transactional. He benefited from our help; we benefited from his help. It was a mutually advantageous relationship.
“First and foremost, Trump appointed three justices who made the reversal of Roe possible. But he did much more. While Trump was President, we were able to strengthen conscience protections for medical personnel who did not want to participate in an abortion or assisted suicide. We stopped our tax dollars from going to organizations that perform and/or promote abortions in other countries. We created a working group for countries around the world that did not want to bow to pro-abortion pressure from the UN.
“… While some in the pro-life movement ask if Trump should still be supported, the important question is: What happens to our country if he isn’t?
“… If elected, Harris/Walz will be relentless in trying to make abortion legal in every state, for any reason, through all nine months of pregnancy, with our tax dollars paying for it. And they will do their best to shut down every pregnancy help center in the country. Even though women supposedly have a “choice,” they will be pushed to choose death. There is too much at stake in this election. Let’s be the little boy with his finger in the dike, holding back the flood. I don’t want to imagine a country after four years of Harris-Walz, and I don’t think you do either.”
If elected, Harris/Walz will move heaven and earth to make abortion available in every state, for any reason, through all nine months of pregnancy, with your tax $ paying for it. And they will do their best to shut down every pregnancy help center in the country. @nrlc
— Carol Tobias (@CarolTobias1) August 27, 2024
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/National Right to Life
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4. Lila Rose, President and founder of Live Action
Slide 4 of 5
Rose applauded Trump for saying he would vote no on Amendment 4 in Florida.
“Thank you, @realDonaldTrump! Please help the great people of Florida defeat this horrific amendment!” she wrote on X. “If Trump starts talking like former President Trump who at the March for Life said, ‘Together, we must protect, cherish, and defend the dignity and sanctity of every human life,’ he may just win this election.”
But Rose also said Trump has taken other positions that he should reverse.
“Positions that the Trump campaign has taken in the last few weeks, a departure from how he ran in 2016 and how he governed as President, that I think will cost Trump the election: 1) Supports taxpayer-funded IVF for all or force insurance companies to pay for it. This is to the Left of Harris/Walz, 2) Supports the abortion pill (60% of all abortions), 3) Says he will veto an abortion ban, 4) Criticizes pro-life states’ Heartbeat Laws and abortion bans, 5) Gutted the RNC platform on abortion, added in government-backed IVF and birth control.
“This has killed the enthusiasm of Trump’s own base,” Rose wrote on X. “My exhortation to the Trump campaign is to change course, come out strongly for LIFE, be a fighter again, take advantage of the GOOD momentum of opposing Florida’s Amendment 4, and stand against the pro-taxpayer funded, child dismemberment and torture horrors of the Harris/Walz agenda.”
Thank you, @realDonaldTrump!
Please help the great people of Florida defeat this horrific amendment!
If Trump starts talking like former President Trump who at the March for Life said “Together, we must protect, cherish, and defend the dignity and sanctity of every human… https://t.co/a3FvUEJiz2
— Lila Rose (@LilaGraceRose) August 30, 2024
“I believe if he does this, Trump WILL win,” Rose added.
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Lila Rose
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5. Marjorie Dannenfelser, President, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America
Slide 5 of 5
“We thank President Donald Trump for announcing he will vote no on Amendment 4,” Dannenfelser said. “President Trump is absolutely right; Amendment 4 is a radical measure that would force taxpayers to fund abortion, eliminate parental rights, take women’s health protections off the books, and allow abortion throughout all of pregnancy — even in the seventh, eighth, and ninth months.
President Trump Pledges to Vote “No” on Radical FL Abortion Amendment
“We thank President Donald Trump for announcing he will vote no on Amendment 4.” – SBA President @MarjorieSBA
Read more ⬇️
— SBA Pro-Life America (@sbaprolife) August 30, 2024
“The Left’s all-trimester abortion amendment poses a major threat to unborn children, women, and girls. We must all fight diligently from now until election day. The only way Amendment 4 passes is if voters are unaware of its impacts. We thank President Trump for shedding light on how extreme this measure is and call on all Republican leaders in Florida to follow the President’s example.”
Photo Credit: ©Facebook/Alison Centofante
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Trump Net Worth Drops $163 Million As Trump Media Stock Falls
Topline
Former President Donald Trump’s net worth fell more than $160 million on Tuesday as shares of Trump Media and Technology Group Corp. dropped to their lowest closing price since going public in March—continuing a downward trend for the company that owns Truth Social and plans to expand into streaming TV.
Donald Trump’s net worth fell to $3.9 billion on Tuesday as his social media parent company’s stock … [+] hit a new record low.
Key Facts
Trump, the majority shareholder of the company, saw his net worth fall nearly 4%—or $163 million—to $3.9 billion on Tuesday, making him the 851st wealthiest person as of 4:30 p.m. EDT.
Trump Media and Technology Group, which uses the ticker DJT, closed at $18.08 on Tuesday, marking a 68.82% fall from when the company debuted on the Nasdaq exchange in late March after merging with a special-purpose acquisition company.
Tuesday’s price surpassed Friday’s previous record low ($19.50) since DJT began trading as its own entity.
Trump Media wasn’t alone in struggling Tuesday: All three U.S. stock indexes saw their worst day since Aug. 5 and other social media companies suffered, too, with Reddit falling 4% and Snap falling 5%.
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Key Background
Trump Media went public on March 26 after it combined with blank-check firm Digital World Acquisition Corp. Between when the merger was announced in 2021 and when it happened, shares often settled below $20, but following the merger Trump Media hadn’t closed below that threshold until last Thursday. Trump Media is often considered a highly volatile “meme stock,” which are stocks that often become popular through social media and see price changes in response to non-earnings developments, like how Trump does on the campaign trail. The company saw another major drop on Aug. 12 that was likely tied to two things: It released an earnings report with low revenue and Trump returned to Truth Social rival platform X, formerly known as Twitter, after a nearly three-year absence. Trump was banned from X in 2021 following the Jan. 6 riot, but his account was reinstated after billionaire Elon Musk bought the platform in 2022. Despite being allowed back on X, Trump had only posted once after his reinstatement and primarily posted on Truth Social.
What We Don’t Know
Whether Trump will sell his stake in the company when he’s allowed to later this month. The former president has not indicated he will sell, but the lock-up restrictions that have prevented Trump from doing so during the first six months are set to expire on Sept. 25. Lock-up restrictions are common for company executives and insiders after an IPO.
Big Number
$3.57 billion. That’s the market cap of Trump Media & Technology Group.
Further Reading
ForbesTrump Media Stock Closes Just Above $20—Lowest Price Since Going PublicBy Molly BohannonForbesNvidia Stock Plunges 10% Amid Broader Stock Losses As Rocky September Kicks OffBy Derek Saul
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