A lawsuit has been filed seeking to halt a service on Truth Social that allows paying customers to access policy announcements from President Donald Trump before the general public.
On August 12, local time, The Intercept and the nonprofit organization Freedom of the Press Foundation reported that they filed the lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against President Trump and others.
The controversial service is the 'Truth API,' a paid service launched by Trump Media this month that delivers posts from major accounts, including President Trump, to customers in increments of one-thousandth of a second. The subscription fee ranges from $60,000 to $100,000 per month, targeting financial firms such as high-frequency trading and algorithmic trading companies.
The plaintiffs argue that since President Trump announces policies that can influence markets—such as tariffs, trade, diplomacy, and security—paying customers could gain an unfair advantage by receiving government information before others. They claim this infringes on the public's right to access official presidential announcements simultaneously and are asking the court to prevent the government from posting information exclusively on Truth Social or providing it first to paying customers.
Trump Media responded by stating that the paid API is a common data provision method used in the financial and information sectors. They also noted that President Trump's statements are made public through various media outlets and platforms.
Concerns about conflicts of interest have also been raised. Trump Media, which operates Truth Social, is 41% owned by a trust that designates President Trump as a beneficiary. His eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., exercises voting rights and investment authority. The plaintiffs contend that the paid service leveraging presidential announcements could ultimately benefit President Trump's financial interests.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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