Trump Faces New Lawsuit Over Truth Social, Past Cyber Firm Faced Backlash

A new federal lawsuit has been filed against President Donald Trump and his media company, Trump Media & Technology Group, seeking to halt a subscription service on Truth Social that offers early access to his posts on U.S. policy. The lawsuit, brought by The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, targets "Truth API," a paid data feed launched on August 1st. This service charges subscribers, reportedly including financial news outlets and high-frequency trading firms, up to $100,000 per month for faster access to posts from prominent accounts, including the President's, before they are widely available to the general public.

The plaintiffs argue that this arrangement is "extraordinary, corrupt, and unconstitutional," alleging it violates the First Amendment by denying equal access to presidential communications and the Fifth Amendment by imposing unreasonable conditions for government-generated information. Critics claim President Trump, as the largest shareholder of Trump Media, stands to personally profit from official government announcements that can influence financial markets.

Filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the lawsuit names Trump, two of his aides, and the Executive Office of the President as defendants. Trump Media & Technology Group has dismissed the lawsuit, asserting that selling real-time public data is a common industry practice and characterizing the legal action as an attempt by "left-wing activists" to censor the president and harm shareholders.