Truth Social facts for kids
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Type of site
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Social networking service |
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| Available in | English and Portuguese |
| Founded | October 20, 2021 in Sarasota, Florida |
| Area served | Worldwide |
| Owner | Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) |
| Founder(s) |
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| CEO | Devin Nunes |
| Registration | Required |
| Users | Estimated 6.3 million monthly active users (as of January 2025) |
| Launched | February 21, 2022 |
| Current status | Active |
| Native client(s) on | |
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Truth Social is an American social media platform. It is owned by the Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), a company where former U.S. President Donald Trump is the main owner. The platform looks and works a lot like Twitter (now known as X). It is considered an alt-tech service, which means it is an alternative to bigger social media sites like Twitter and Facebook.
The idea for Truth Social came after Donald Trump was banned from Twitter and Facebook in 2021. He wanted a new platform to share his thoughts. The service officially launched on February 21, 2022.
Since it started, Truth Social has faced some challenges. For a while, it was not available on the Google Play store because it did not meet Google's rules about preventing violent posts. It was later approved after agreeing to enforce these rules more strictly.
In March 2024, TMTG merged with another company and began to be traded on the NASDAQ stock market. This means people can buy and sell shares, or small pieces of ownership, in the company.
Contents
History of Truth Social
Why Was Truth Social Created?
After the events at the U.S. Capitol in 2021, former President Donald Trump was banned from major social media sites. He wanted a new way to reach his followers online. Before Truth Social, he started a blog-like page called "From the Desk of Donald J. Trump," but it was shut down after about a month.
The idea for a new social network was then pitched to Trump. This led to the creation of the Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the parent company of Truth Social.
Getting the Company Started
To raise money, TMTG planned to merge with a special company called a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC). This type of company is created just to help another company sell its shares to the public on the stock market. The SPAC was named Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC).
The company was officially announced in October 2021. It was planned to launch in early 2022. Before the official launch, a test version was accidentally made public. People found the web address, signed up, and created parody accounts of famous people, including Trump. The company quickly took the test site offline.
How the Platform Works
Key People and Technology
Truth Social is run by TMTG, with former Congressman Devin Nunes as its CEO. The company is based in Sarasota, Florida, and had about 40 employees in 2022.
The platform is built using Mastodon, which is free and open-source software. This means its original code is available for anyone to see and use. Because of this, Truth Social had to share its own modified source code with the public.
Users on Truth Social can post messages called "Truths" and share others' posts with "ReTruths." This is very similar to Twitter's "Tweets" and "Retweets."
Content Rules
Truth Social said it would be a platform for "free expression" without political censorship. However, like all social media sites, it has terms of service, which are rules users must follow. At first, the rules said users could not "disparage, tarnish, or otherwise harm" the site. This part was later removed.
The platform has been accused of censoring some topics. For example, some users were banned after posting about the January 6 hearings. A report from the group Public Citizen claimed that the site's content rules were actually stricter than Twitter's in some ways.
Launch and Growth
A Bumpy Start
Truth Social launched on the Apple App Store on February 21, 2022. It quickly became the most downloaded app. However, so many people tried to sign up at once that hundreds of thousands were put on a waiting list. The launch had many technical problems, and some people described it as a "disaster."
In the weeks after the launch, interest seemed to drop. The number of new downloads and visits to the website went down significantly. Even Donald Trump did not post for over two months after his first "Truth."
User Numbers
Truth Social has not officially released its user numbers. However, outside companies estimate its audience. In early 2024, one company estimated it had about 5 million visitors per month.
By April 2024, its daily active users in the U.S. were estimated to be around 113,000. For comparison, Twitter (X) had about 34 million daily active users in the U.S. during the same period.
Elon Musk and Twitter
When Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, many people wondered what it would mean for Truth Social. Musk said that Truth Social only existed because Twitter had strict rules on speech. He later restored Donald Trump's account on Twitter.
Trump said he would stick with Truth Social as his main platform. He has a deal that requires him to post there first, at least six hours before posting the same content anywhere else.
Financial and Company Information
Making Money
Like many new tech companies, TMTG has spent more money than it has made. In 2023, the company reported a loss of over $58 million with revenues of about $4 million. The company has stated that it expects to lose money for the near future as it grows.
In March 2024, the merger with DWAC was completed. The new combined company, TMTG, started trading on the NASDAQ stock market under the ticker symbol DJT. The company's stock price has been very volatile, meaning it has gone up and down a lot.
Regulatory Issues
The company and its merger with DWAC have faced investigations. Federal regulators looked into whether the two companies had planned their deal improperly before it was announced. These investigations caused delays in the merger.
The company also had trouble getting a trademark for the name "Truth Social." The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied the application at first because other companies were already using similar names.
Notable Activity on the Platform
Donald Trump's Posts
Donald Trump is the most important user on Truth Social. After a quiet start, he began posting regularly in April 2022. His posts often get a lot of attention from the media. He uses the platform to share his opinions on politics, news events, and his own legal cases.
In August 2023, he posted on X/Twitter for the first time in years, sharing his mug shot from his arrest in Georgia. However, he continues to use Truth Social as his primary social media outlet.
Use by Other Political Figures
Other political figures have also joined Truth Social. In June 2022, California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, created an account. He said he joined to "call out Republican lies."
The 2024 presidential campaign for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris also created an account on Truth Social. They said they did it to counter information on the platform and because they thought it was "very funny."
Controversial Content
Truth Social, like other alt-tech platforms, has attracted users who have been banned from mainstream sites. This has led to challenges with content moderation.
There have been instances where users posted threats on the platform. In one case, a man who attacked an FBI office in Cincinnati, Ohio, had posted calls for violence on Truth Social beforehand. In another, the company reported a user to the FBI for making threats against President Joe Biden. These events highlight the ongoing struggle for social media platforms to balance free speech with safety.
See also
- List of social networking services
- Social media use by Donald Trump
