US President Donald Trump’s media company has launched a subscription service that gives paying customers early access to posts on Truth Social, prompting criticism from lawmakers and ethics experts.
According to the Guardian, Trump Media & Technology Group introduced Truth API, a service that provides businesses with real-time access to posts from high-profile accounts for fees of up to $100,000 a month.
The company said the service gives subscribers “a direct, licensed, real-time feed of the platform’s most market-moving Truths”, according to interim chief executive Kevin McGurn.
Critics argue the service could allow paying customers to see market-moving posts from Trump before other users.
Trump is the platform’s largest shareholder and its most-followed user, frequently using the site to announce major policy decisions.
The launch comes days after Democratic senators Adam Schiff and Elizabeth Warren asked the Securities and Exchange Commission to examine the new service.
In a letter cited by the Guardian, the senators wrote: “This appears to be an outrageous abuse of the President’s office for his personal benefit that undermines everyday investors and the integrity of our markets, while enriching Wall Street and other wealthy insiders.”
According to Forbes, Trump Media shares rose 5.5 percent on Friday before the service launched.
