Amid the disappointing news that there’s still no confirmed TikTok deal, things got a little unhinged.
Movie theater-goers turned literally feral at the Minecraft movie; MrBeast had to sue an employee for spying on hidden cameras; and most bizarre of all, the DHS announced that it will begin screening immigrants’ social media for signs of “antisemitism.” Which, in other words, means that immigrants will be deported for supporting Palestine on social media.
If you’re seeking order amid all this chaos, you’ve come to the right place. Just keep reading to get all caught up.
Another Day, Another TikTok Ban Extension
We were so close to a TikTok deal, we could almost taste it. But sadly, it wasn’t to be. On Friday, April 4, President Donald Trump shared the news everyone was dreading: he was once again issuing a 75-day extension to the TikTok “ban or sell” deadline.
“The Deal requires more work to ensure all necessary approvals are signed, which is why I am signing an Executive Order to keep TikTok up and running for an additional 75 days,” he said in a post on Truth Social.
Trump later confirmed that China backed out of a deal after he issued high tariffs to them as part of his economic rampage. In some ways, this is a sigh of relief for creators worried about losing their livelihood, but how sustainable is this state of limbo?
Read more here.
The Minecraft Movie Is Causing Chaos In Theaters
It’s true that A Minecraft Movie has a very committed, very online fanbase — but is that always a good thing? Minecraft superfans are wreaking havoc in movie theaters right now, with viral TikToks showing them cheering, throwing popcorn, filming, and yelling throughout screenings of the video game adaptation.
Some screenings got so out of hand that the police had to be called, with a movie theater in New Jersey banning minors from going to see the movie alone. Other movie theaters in the UK are issuing warnings over anti-social behavior, as the Minecraft fandom reacts to the movie globally.
Click here for more.
MrBeast Sues Former Employee For Leaking Company Secrets
It seems like MrBeast can’t stay away from lawsuits. But this time, he’s the one making the complaint. The YouTuber is suing ex-employee Leroy Nabors for a number of reasons, including breach of contract, sharing company secrets, and — most bizarrely — unauthorized surveillance.
The suit says that Nabors, who started out as an IT contractor for Beast HQ in 2023, signed a non-disclosure agreement as part of his employment. However, this didn’t stop him from downloading more than a thousand confidential work files.
The legal complaint also claims that he colluded with his daughter to place hidden cameras in several Beast HQ offices. But what were Nabors’ intentions? It’s impossible to know, but we’re sure it will all unfold over the next few months. For the whole story, click here.
DHS Announces It Will Screen Social Media For ‘Antisemitism’
The Department of Homeland Security made another divisive decision this week, as it announced that it’ll start screening “aliens’” social media for content it deems “antisemitic.”
However, as demonstrated by the DHS’ recent actions, it’s pretty clear that its definition of “antisemitism” is vastly different from the norm. People have been arrested and deported for merely speaking out against the bombings in Gaza online.
Undoubtedly, this new rule will continue to exploit the definition of antisemitism, leaving foreign students and those applying for permanent residency vulnerable. For more on this, check out the story here.
Creator Turned Candidate Kat Abughazaleh Says Dems Need To Grow a Spine
Recently, Kat Abughazaleh took the internet by storm by revealing that she was running for Congress. The popular content creator, who previously worked for left-wing outlet Media Matters, is one of many TikTokers who have taken to the internet to share their political views with the public.
In her announcement video, she didn’t hold back, saying that the Government needed to “grow a f***ing spine.” A few weeks on, Abughazaleh has doubled down on these sentiments in a new interview with Passionfruit’s Taylor Lorenz.
The interview touches on a range of important subjects, including “the growing frustration among younger voters towards political leaders, how she plans to challenge the status quo of political campaigning, and what she thinks the Democratic party needs to do to win back the internet.”
You can read the full interview here.
Passionfruit on YouTube: SXSW
This year, during SXSW, Passionfruit attended the East Meets West: Creatorpalooza meetup. During this event, we collaborated with Airplane Mode to host a talk entitled, ‘The Art of Viral Activism.’ Our very own Liz Plank hosted the event, with guests including Josh Burstein, Walter Masterson, and Sid Marcos. In this talk, we aim to answer one question: How can you produce content that makes an impact? To find out the answer, watch the video above.
