Now Reading: Media groups sue Trump over paid early access to Truth Social posts
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Media groups sue Trump over paid early access to Truth Social posts
Media groups sue Trump over paid early access to Truth Social posts
Media outlets The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation sued Donald Trump on Wednesday over Truth API, a paid service that gives subscribers early access to the US president's posts…
The Story in Brief
Media outlets The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation sued Donald Trump on Wednesday over Truth API, a paid service that gives subscribers early access to the US president's posts on his Truth Social platform. The fee can reach $100,000 a month, and the complaint, filed in Manhattan federal court, calls the service 'profoundly corrupt' and a violation of the First Amendment. The plaintiffs say Trump, as Trump Media's largest shareholder with a 41.3% stake, stands to profit when investors pay for market-moving announcements on tariffs or conflicts that he often posts first.
A Trump Media spokesperson said left-wing activists are trying to weaponise the courts to censor the president. The White House did not comment. Truth API launched on August 1, days after Democratic senators asked the SEC to investigate whether it undermines market integrity. Trump Media shares fell 6% on Wednesday.
The Indian Opinion
The lawsuit touches a real nerve: one person should not profit from selling early access to official news that can move global markets. Trump supporters call it a free-speech attack, but the First Amendment does not require the government to sell information to the highest bidder. Trump Media's defence, that countless outlets already carry his posts, sidesteps the conflict: those outlets do not pay his company. Watch whether the court holds that a president's personal stake in disclosing government news violates public trust.
Sources (2): economictimes.indiatimes.com, timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
