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Tesla’s Elon Musk found not liable in trial over 2018 ‘funding secured’ tweets

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Tesla's Elon Musk found not liable in trial over 2018 'funding secured' tweets

A U.S. jury on Friday found Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) CEO Elon Musk and his company were not liable for misleading investors when Musk tweeted in 2018 that he had “funding secured” to take the electric car company private.

Plaintiffs had claimed billions in damages and the decision also had been seen as important for Musk himself, who often takes to Twitter to air his views.

The jury came back with a unanimous verdict roughly two hours after beginning deliberations.

Musk was not present in court when the verdict was read but soon tweeted that he was “deeply appreciative” of the jury’s decision.

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“Thank goodness, the wisdom of the people has prevailed,” he said.

Nicholas Porritt, a lawyer for the investors, said in a statement, “We are disappointed with the verdict and are considering next steps.”

Shares of Tesla rose 1.6% in after-hours trading following the verdict.

“A dark chapter is now closed for Musk and Tesla,” Wedbush analyst Dan Ives said. Ives added that some Tesla investors feared Musk might have to sell more Tesla stock if he lost.

The world’s second-richest person has previously created legal and regulatory headaches through his sometimes impulsive use of Twitter, the social media company he bought for $44 billion in October.

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Minor Myers, who teaches corporate law at the University of Connecticut and who had previously called the investors’ case strong, called the outcome “astounding.”

The U.S. anti-securities fraud law “has always been thought to be this great bulwark against misstatements and falsehoods,” he said. “This outcome makes you wonder if it is up to the job in modern markets,” he said, adding that Musk himself was likely to “double down” on his communication tactics after the verdict.

Musk’s attention has been divided in recent months between Tesla, his rocket company SpaceX and now Twitter. Tesla investors have expressed concerns that running the social media company has taken up too much of his focus.Tesla shareholders claimed Musk misled them when he tweeted on Aug. 7, 2018, that he was considering taking the company private at $420 per share, a premium of about 23% to the prior day’s close, and had “funding secured.”

They say Musk lied when he tweeted later that day that “investor support is confirmed.”

The stock price soared after the tweets and then fell again after Aug. 17, 2018, as it became clear the buyout would not happen.
Porritt during closing arguments said the billionaire CEO is not above the law, and should be held liable for the tweets.

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“This case ultimately is about whether rules that apply to everyone else should also apply to Elon Musk,” he said.

Musk’s lawyer Alex Spiro countered that Musk’s “funding secured” tweet was “technically inaccurate” but that investors only cared that Musk was considering a buyout.

“The whole case is built on bad word choice,” he said. “Who cares about bad word choice?”

“Just because it’s a bad tweet doesn’t make it fraud,” Spiro said during closing arguments.

An economist hired by the shareholders had calculated investor losses as high as $12 billion.

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During the three-week trial, Musk spent nearly nine hours on the witness stand, telling jurors he believed the tweets were truthful.

He said he had lined up the necessary financing, including a verbal commitment from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Public Investment Fund. The fund later backpedaled on its commitment, Musk said.

Musk later testified that he believed he could have sold enough shares of his rocket company SpaceX to fund a buyout, and “felt funding was secured” with SpaceX stock alone.

Musk testified that he made the tweets in order to put small shareholders on the same footing as large investors who knew about the deal. But he acknowledged he lacked formal commitments from the Saudi fund and other potential backers.

The verdict is another victory for Musk and his lawyer Spiro after they won a defamation lawsuit against the billionaire in 2019 over his tweet calling a cave explorer a “pedo guy”.

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Plea seeking restoration of ‘X’ adjourned till April 2

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Plea seeking restoration of 'X' adjourned till April 2

 Lahore High Court has adjourned the hearing of miscellaneous application seeking restoration of X (formerly Twitter) till April 21

LHC’s Justice Asim Hafeez heard the petition of Advocate Huzaifa Naeem filed for restoration of social media app X.

During the hearing Justice Asim Hafeez inquired about the petition and the petitioner stated that Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has made impossible for public to access the micro-blogging site X.

The court suggested a solution referring to a minister who has suggested to access the platform with VPN.

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The petitioner stressed for a long-term effective solution, replied that “if police say to avoid a certain route as dacoit rule there, it is not a solution.”

The petition requested to court to declare the X outage as illegal and direct opposition to ensure the public access of X. Court has adjourned the petition for hearing till April 2.

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Samsung Galaxy to launch AI features in other devices as well on March 28

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Samsung Galaxy to launch AI features in other devices as well on March 28

Samsung Galaxy AI features will be introduced into other devices as well after on the acclaimed Galaxy S24 series.

Starting March 28, One UI 6.1 will begin rolling out across the Galaxy S23 series, S23 FE, Z Fold5, Z Flip55, and Galaxy Tab S9 Ultra, Tab S9+ and Tab S9 WiFi versions beginning this week.

In the US, Samsung Galaxy S24 users are embracing several innovative features that have revolutionized their smartphone experience.

One standout feature is Circle to Search with Google, which has become immensely popular among users. This feature allows users to search for information quickly by simply circling items on their screens, eliminating the need to switch between apps.

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Live Translate has been a game-changer for users, facilitating seamless communication by providing real-time voice and live caption translations during phone calls. This feature helps users overcome language barriers, ensuring smooth and effective communication.

Samsung’s Generative Edit tool has also garnered significant attention, offering users powerful AI-driven photo editing capabilities. This tool allows users to easily adjust and enhance their favorite pictures by resizing or filling in backgrounds after removing unwanted objects from the frame.

Another highly utilized feature is Chat Assist, integrated into the Samsung Keyboard. This feature provides users with translation, writing style suggestions, and spelling and grammar corrections, enhancing their communication experience across various apps.

These innovative AI features are enhancing the functionality and usability of Samsung Galaxy S24 smartphones, providing users with convenient and efficient ways to interact with their devices and communicate with others. 

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Amazon loses court fight to suspend EU tech rules’ ad clause

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Amazon loses court fight to suspend EU tech rules' ad clause

Amazon (AMZN.O) on Wednesday lost its fight to suspend a requirement regarding its online advertising under EU tech rules after Europe’s top court backed EU regulators, saying EU interests outweigh the U.S. online retailer’s material interests.

Under the Digital Services Act (DSA) which kicked in last year, Amazon was designated as a very large online platform subject to tough rules to tackle illegal and harmful content on its platform.

The company subsequently challenged a DSA requirement to make publicly available a repository containing detailed information on its online advertising and also asked for an interim measure until the court rules on the case.

A lower tribunal in September agreed to its request for an interim measure to suspend the contested obligation, which prompted the European Commission to turn to Europe’s top court.

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The Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) set aside the suspension order and dismissed Aamzon’s application for an interim measure.

The judge said that Amazon’s argument that the obligation unlawfully limits its fundamental rights to respect for private life and the freedom to conduct a business was not irrelevant.

He also said that without a suspension, it was likely that Amazon would suffer serious and irreparable harm before any judgment annulling the Commission’s decision.

However, he said a suspension could have a detrimental impact on the objectives of the DSA.

“Suspension would lead to a delay, potentially for several years, in the full achievement of the objectives of the Regulation on a Single Market for Digital Services and therefore potentially allow an online environment threatening fundamental rights to persist or develop,” the judge said.

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“The interests defended by the EU legislature prevail, in the present case, over Amazon’s material interests, with the result that the balancing of interests weighs in favour of rejecting the request for suspension.”

Amazon said: “We are disappointed with this decision, and maintain that Amazon doesn’t fit the description of a ‘Very Large Online Platform’ (VLOP) under the DSA, and should not be designated as such.”

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