Free Republic

Germany is set to start enforcing a law that demands social media sites move quickly to remove hate speech, fake news and illegal material. Sites that do not remove “obviously illegal” posts could face fines of up to €50 million (£44.3 million; $60 million). The law gives the networks 24 hours to act after they have been told about lawbreaking material. Social networks and media sites with more than two million members will fall under the law’s provisions. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube will be the law’s main focus, but it is also likely to be applied to Reddit, Tumblr and...

Pavel Durov, the founder and owner of Telegram, is a significant figure in the tech world. As of August 24, 2024, his net worth is estimated at $15.5 billion, placing him among the world’s wealthiest individuals, ranked #120. Durov’s notable achievements began with the creation of VKontakte (VK), Russia's largest social network, which he co-founded with his brother Nikolai in 2006. VK quickly became a dominant platform in Russia, similar to Facebook. #Durov’s tenure at VK was marked by disputes with Russian authorities over data privacy and content control. In 2014, facing mounting pressure, he was compelled to sell his...

blah, blah, blah ... "The executive at Vkontakte, or VK, Russia’s equivalent to Facebook, emailed Donald Trump Jr. and social media director Dan Scavino in January and again in November of last year, offering to help promote Trump’s campaign to its nearly 100 million users, according to people familiar with the messages...." Looks like Nellie Ohr was looking for Russian Social Media Users in 2014: